Past remarkable: using life stories to trace alternative futures

Article


Palmer, Jane. 2014. "Past remarkable: using life stories to trace alternative futures." Futures. 64, pp. 29-37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.futures.2014.10.002
Article Title

Past remarkable: using life stories to trace alternative futures

ERA Journal ID18535
Article CategoryArticle
Authors
AuthorPalmer, Jane
Journal TitleFutures
Journal Citation64, pp. 29-37
Number of Pages7
Year2014
PublisherElsevier
Place of PublicationUnited Kingdom
ISSN0016-3287
1873-6378
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1016/j.futures.2014.10.002
Abstract

The paper argues that life stories and histories offer different perspectives on the past, with implications for studying the future. A life is proposed as a form of 'social site' (Marston, S.A., J.P. Jones III & K. Woodward 2005, 'Human geography without scale', Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, vol. 30, pp. 416-432.) where the future is met and negotiated. Unlike the broad sweep of historical narrative, a focus on the site of a life can reveal cumulative losses, futures denied and paths not taken. Life stories challenge historical narrative with alternative futures that ‘might-have-been’; they might therefore usefully be added as a more experimental type to Inayatullah’s taxonomy of historical 'traces' (Inayatullah, S. 2012, 'Humanity 3000: A comparative analysis of methodological approaches to forecasting the long-term', Foresight, vol. 14, no. 5, pp. 401-417).

A case study based on a life story from Aceh is used to demonstrate ways in which alternative futures can emerge from life stories and then be acted upon. The paper concludes that the experimental power of life stories as historical traces lies not only in the stories themselves but in the unique event of storytelling and its potentially transformative impact on the teller and listener, and hence the future.

Keywordsexperimentation, life stories, potential futures, historical traces, transformative learning, narrative
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020440101. Anthropology of development
440107. Social and cultural anthropology
440699. Human geography not elsewhere classified
Public Notes

File reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher/author.

Byline AffiliationsUniversity of Technology Sydney
Institution of OriginUniversity of Southern Queensland
Permalink -

https://research.usq.edu.au/item/q32z1/past-remarkable-using-life-stories-to-trace-alternative-futures

Download files


Accepted Version
PALMER ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT 2014.pdf
License: CC BY-NC-ND
File access level: Anyone

  • 1667
    total views
  • 240
    total downloads
  • 1
    views this month
  • 3
    downloads this month

Export as

Related outputs

Taking Pause: The Role of Art and Literature in Reimagining Human-Nonhuman Relations and Transdisciplinary Collaboration
Palmer, Jane and Fam, Dena. 2023. "Taking Pause: The Role of Art and Literature in Reimagining Human-Nonhuman Relations and Transdisciplinary Collaboration." World Futures: the journal of general evolution. 79 (2), pp. 297-319. https://doi.org/10.1080/02604027.2022.2094195
#AustraliaOnFire: Hashtag Activism and Collective Affect in the Black Summer Fires
Leimbach, Tania and Palmer, Jane. 2022. "#AustraliaOnFire: Hashtag Activism and Collective Affect in the Black Summer Fires." Journal of Australian Studies. 46 (4), pp. 496-511. https://doi.org/10.1080/14443058.2022.2121744
Parallel futures? Indigenous resurgence and the haunting of the settler
Palmer, Jane, Walsh, Angelia, Batorowicz, Beata, Palmer J., Walsh A. and Batorowicz B.. 2022. "Parallel futures? Indigenous resurgence and the haunting of the settler." Futures. 141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.futures.2022.102969
Emerging spheres of engagement: the role of trust and care in community-university research
Palmer, Jane, Burton, Lorelle J. and Walsh, Angelia. 2020. "Emerging spheres of engagement: the role of trust and care in community-university research." Qualitative Research. 20 (6), pp. 749-766. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468794120904891
‘Siting’ voice in stories of conflict: bounding conflict in place and time through social memory and acts of remembering
Palmer, Jane. 2019. "‘Siting’ voice in stories of conflict: bounding conflict in place and time through social memory and acts of remembering." Collins, Pauline, Igreja, Victor and Danaher, Patrick Alan (ed.) The Nexus among place, conflict and communication in a globalising world. United Kingdom. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 187-206
Writing to perform the region: making ‘somewhereness’ visible in post-colonisation Australia
Palmer, Jane. 2019. "Writing to perform the region: making ‘somewhereness’ visible in post-colonisation Australia." TEXT: Journal of Writing and Writing Courses. 23 (Special 54), pp. 1-13. https://doi.org/10.52086/001c.25449
Aboriginal colonial history and the (un)happy object of reconciliation
Palmer, Jane and Pocock, Celmara. 2020. "Aboriginal colonial history and the (un)happy object of reconciliation." Cultural Studies. 34 (1), pp. 49-69. https://doi.org/10.1080/09502386.2019.1602153
Evaluating for the past, present and future: a values-based evaluation of an Aboriginal-led project in rural and remote Australia
Palmer, Jane and Burton, Lorelle J.. 2019. "Evaluating for the past, present and future: a values-based evaluation of an Aboriginal-led project in rural and remote Australia." Futures. 109, pp. 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.futures.2019.03.005
Transdisciplinary research and practice for sustainability outcomes
Fam, Dena, Palmer, Jane, Riedy, Chris and Mitchell, Cynthia. Fam, Dena, Palmer, Jane, Riedy, Chris and Mitchell, Cynthia (ed.) 2017. Transdisciplinary research and practice for sustainability outcomes. Abingdon, United Kingdom. Routledge.
Ethnography as transdisciplinary inquiry: two stories of adaptation and resilience from Aceh, Indonesia
Palmer, Jane. 2017. "Ethnography as transdisciplinary inquiry: two stories of adaptation and resilience from Aceh, Indonesia." Fam, Dena, Palmer, Jane, Riedy, Chris and Mitchell, Cynthia (ed.) Transdisciplinary research and practice for sustainability outcomes. Oxford, United Kingdom. Routledge. pp. 190-203
Transdisciplinary research and practice for sustainable outcomes: introduction
Palmer, Jane, Riedy, Chris, Fam, Dena and Mitchell, Cynthia. 2017. "Transdisciplinary research and practice for sustainable outcomes: introduction." Fam, Dena, Palmer, Jane, Riedy, Chris and Mitchell, Cynthia (ed.) Transdisciplinary research and practice for sustainability outcomes. Oxford, UK. Routledge. pp. 1-6
Where's the data? Using data convincingly in transdisciplinary doctoral research
Palmer, Jane, Fam, Dena, Smith, Tanzi and Kent, Jennifer. 2018. "Where's the data? Using data convincingly in transdisciplinary doctoral research." International Journal of Doctoral Studies. 13, pp. 9-29. https://doi.org/10.28945/3941
Working in the border zone: developing cultural competence in higher education for a globalized world
Palmer, Jane and Carter, Jennifer. 2014. "Working in the border zone: developing cultural competence in higher education for a globalized world." Knowledge Cultures. 2 (4), pp. 25-48.
Waiting, power and time in ethnographic and community-based research
Palmer, Jane, Pocock, Celmara and Burton, Lorelle. 2018. "Waiting, power and time in ethnographic and community-based research." Qualitative Research. 18 (4), pp. 416-432. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468794117728413
'An eye open in the dark': life story ethnography and the future of social-ecological systems
Palmer, Jane. 2011. 'An eye open in the dark': life story ethnography and the future of social-ecological systems. PhD Thesis Doctor of Philosophy. University of Technology, Sydney.
A layered approach to horizon scanning: identifying future issues in military and veterans’ health
Palmer, Jane and Ellis, Niki. 2015. "A layered approach to horizon scanning: identifying future issues in military and veterans’ health." Milojević, Ivana and Inayatullah, Sohail (ed.) CLA 2.0: transformative research in theory and practice. Taipei, Taiwan. Tamkang University Press. pp. 421-436
The Community Futures Research Program at the University of Southern Queensland: a model for university-community engagement
Burton, Lorelle Jane and Palmer, Jane. 2016. "The Community Futures Research Program at the University of Southern Queensland: a model for university-community engagement." Pratt, Chris (ed.) The diversity of university-community engagement: an international perspective. Pulau Pinang, Malaysia. Asia-Pacific University-Community Engagement Network (APUCEN). pp. 37-46
Dilemmas of transgression: ethical responses in a more-than-human world
Carter, Jennifer and Palmer, Jane. 2017. "Dilemmas of transgression: ethical responses in a more-than-human world." Cultural Geographies. 24 (2), pp. 213-229. https://doi.org/10.1177/1474474016667428
Two stories from Aceh: 'Simpang Lima' and 'Maghrib'
Palmer, Jane. 2016. "Two stories from Aceh: 'Simpang Lima' and 'Maghrib'." Meniscus Literary Journal. 4 (2), pp. 36-37.
Creativity, ethics and transformation: key factors in a transdisciplinary application of systems methodology to resolving wicked problems in sustainability
Palmer, Jane, Smith, Tanzi, Willetts, Juliet and Mitchell, Cynthia. 2009. "Creativity, ethics and transformation: key factors in a transdisciplinary application of systems methodology to resolving wicked problems in sustainability." Sheffield, James (ed.) Systemic development: local solutions in a global environment. Goodyear, Arizona, USA. ISCE Publishing. pp. 69-78
A layered approach to horizon scanning: identifying future issues in military and veterans’ health
Palmer, Jane and Ellis, Niki. 2008. "A layered approach to horizon scanning: identifying future issues in military and veterans’ health." Journal of Futures Studies. 12 (4), pp. 77-92.
Climate change adaptation in the rental sector
Instone, Lesley, Mee, Kathleen J., Palmer, Jane, Williams, Miriam and Vaughan, Nicola. 2015. "Climate change adaptation in the rental sector." Palutikof, Jean P., Boulter, Sarah L., Barnett, Jon and Rissik, David (ed.) Applied studies in climate adaptation. Oxford, United Kingdom. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 372-379
Climate change adaptation and the rental sector: final report
Instone, Lesley, Mee, Kathleen, Palmer, Jane, Williams, Miriam and Vaughan, Nicola. 2013. Climate change adaptation and the rental sector: final report. Gold Coast, Australia. National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility (NCCARF).
Ethics in fieldwork: reflections on the unexpected
Palmer, Jane, Fam, Dena, Smith, Tanzi and Kilham, Sarina. 2014. "Ethics in fieldwork: reflections on the unexpected." Qualitative Report: an online journal dedicated to qualitative research since 1990. 19 (28), pp. 1-13.
Walking-to-think-with in Indonesia: beginning a new discourse in area studies?
Palmer, Jane. 2014. "Walking-to-think-with in Indonesia: beginning a new discourse in area studies?" RIMA: Review of Indonesian and Malaysian Affairs: a semi-annual survey of political, economic, social and cultural aspects of Indonesia and Malaysia. 48 (2), pp. 17-26.
Renting over troubled waters: an urban political ecology of rental housing
Mee, Kathleen J., Instone, Lesley, Williams, Miriam, Palmer, Jane and Vaughan, Nicola. 2014. "Renting over troubled waters: an urban political ecology of rental housing." Geographical Research. 52 (4), pp. 365-376. https://doi.org/10.1111/1745-5871.12058
Green tenants: practicing a sustainability ethics for the rental housing sector
Palmer, Jane, Instone, Lesley, Mee, Kathleen J., Williams, Miriam and Vaughan, Nicola. 2015. "Green tenants: practicing a sustainability ethics for the rental housing sector." Local Environment: the international journal of justice and sustainability. 20 (8), pp. 923-939. https://doi.org/10.1080/13549839.2013.879640
Walking-to-think-with in Indonesia: beginning a new discourse in area studies?
Palmer, Jane. 2014. "Walking-to-think-with in Indonesia: beginning a new discourse in area studies?" RIMA: Review of Indonesian and Malaysian Affairs: a semi-annual survey of political, economic, social and cultural aspects of Indonesia and Malaysia. 48 (2), pp. 17-26.
Ethics in Fieldwork: Reflections on the Unexpected
Palmer, Jane, Fam, Dena, Smith, Tanzi and Kilham, Sarina. 2014. "Ethics in Fieldwork: Reflections on the Unexpected." Qualitative Report: an online journal dedicated to qualitative research since 1990. 19 (28), pp. 1-13.
Methodology for a think tank: the future of military and veterans' health
Palmer, Jane and Ellis, Niki. 2009. "Methodology for a think tank: the future of military and veterans' health." Foresight (Cambridge): the journal for future studies, strategic thinking and policy. 11 (3), pp. 14-27. https://doi.org/10.1108/14636680910963918