ABSTRACT

This chapter begins by reporting on popular images of the future during the twentieth century and in particular their dystopian emphasis. By then looking at the failure of modernity and the clash between deconstructive and revisionary postmodernism it sets these images in a wider social context. The crucial importance of positive images of the future is emphasised and the outcomes of envisioning workshops with students and others described. This then leads to discussion about the significance of hope in combatting pessimism and a growing interest in this phenomenon is identified. A research project which worked with global educators to identify their sources of hope is described with a final comment on the need for socially committed educators to consider the pedagogical implications of this more closely.