THE FUTURES THAT WE DIDN’T TAKE – shifting perspectives on climate inspired by speculative design

McGowan, Madeleïne Käte and Ditlev, Lærke Vilain (2018) THE FUTURES THAT WE DIDN’T TAKE – shifting perspectives on climate inspired by speculative design. Project Report. University of Copenhagen.

English | Text The-Futures-that-we-didnt-take-Madeline-kate-.pdf Download (5MB)

Abstract

It is estimated that developed countries like Denmark need to reduce their total carbon footprint by approximately 80 percent by the year 2050, in order to keep the rise in global temperature below 2 degrees. There is a great need for change, and environmental sustainability is also a rising topic in HCI research. However the majority of literature focuses on the theme of persuasive technology for changing human behaviour. We argue that instead of focusing on changing human behaviour we should be focusing on changing human mental perspective. Findings from twelve individual interviews with experts within the feld of climate change have set the core vibration for this entire thesis. Through a careful coding of the empirical material we have extracted categories, quotes and keywords, that are later transformed into what-if questions. The method of what-if thinking combined with knowledge and perspectives imparted by these experts, is introduced as a way to spark critical refection for changing perspectives. To explore whether the questions activated critical refection, we crafted three participatory inquiries: One inquiry to explore individual refection while engaging in writing. Another inquiry to explore collaborative refection towards crafting a visual outcome. Finally an inquiry to explore individual refection without any creative engagement, implemented in the participants’ everyday life for a week. Through an analysis of the written feedback from the participants, we argue that the what-if questions spark critical refection on climate futures.

Item Type:	Monograph (Project Report)
Creators:	McGowan, Madeleïne Käte and Ditlev, Lærke Vilain
Projects:	Samsø Energiakademi website
Date Deposited:	21 Feb 2023 14:49
Last Modified:	21 Feb 2023 14:49
URI:	http://arkiv.energiinstituttet.dk/id/eprint/709

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