“What might the futures of practice be like?” is far from a straightforward question. Emphasising "the" before the word future, implies one future. But futures thinkers have identified a range of futures that people think about. In this book we reflect on possible, probable, and preferable futures in relation to practice and work. Readers are invited to consider how their own engagement in shaping possible futures will support ways of working that they deem preferable, even those they can hardly imagine.
Challenging Future Practice Possibilities also examines influences that are maintaining the status quo and others that are pushing interest-driven change. Authors consider the major challenges that practice and practitioners face today such as wicked problems, fears for the future and complex demands and opportunities posed by the digital revolution. A number of examples of future-oriented work directions such as protean careers and artificial intelligence enhancing or even replacing human workforces, are considered along with concerns like the vulnerability of many work situations and workers. In some cases workers and employers alike are unprepared for these challenges, while others see adapting to these situations as yet another pathway of practice futures evolution.
Joy Higgs, AM, PhD, Emeritus Professor at Charles Sturt University, Adjunct Professor at the University of New South Wales and Director of the Education, Practice and Employability Network, Australia.
Steven Cork, Ph.D. (1981), University of New South Wales, Australia, is Adjunct Associate Professor at Australian National University, Canberra, Australia, Principal of Ecoinsights, and a Director of Australia21.
Debbie Horsfall, Ph.D. (1998), is Professor of Sociology at Western Sydney University and leader of the Caring at End of Life Research Team in the School of Social Sciences and Psychology.
Preface Acknowledgements
Part 1: Grappling with Practice Futures
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Exploring Practice in Context Joy Higgs 2
Thinking the Unthinkable: Challenges of Imagining and Engaging with Unimaginable Practice Futures Steven Cork and Debbie Horsfall 3
Plausible Practice Futures Steven Cork and Kristin Alford 4
The Impact of Practice on Wicked Problems and Unpredictable Futures Peter Goodyear and Lina Markauskaite 5
The Changing Face of Work: Considering Business Models and the Employment Market Paul Whybrow and Asheley Jones
Part 2: Practice and the Common Good
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Re-claiming Social Purpose and Adding Values to the World around Us Debbie Horsfall and Joy Higgs 7
Our Place in Society and the Environment: Opportunities and Responsibilities for Professional Practice Futures Steven Cork 8
Practice Futures for Indigenous Agency: Our Gaps, Our Leaps Sandy O’Sullivan 9
Changing Work Realities: Creating Socially and Environmentally Responsible Workplaces Rosemary Leonard and Margot Cairnes 10
Towards Future Practice in Socio-political Contexts Megan Conway and Joy Higgs
Part 3: Pursuing Practice Futures
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The Place of Agency and Related Capacities in Future Practices Franziska Trede and Joy Higgs 12
Employability and Career Development Learning through Social Media: Exploring the Potential of LinkedIn Ruth Bridgstock 13
Re-imagining Practice Structures and Pathways: Starting to Realise Tomorrow’s Practices Today Joy Higgs and Daniel Radovich 14
Freelancing, Entrepreneurship and Inherent Career Risk: An Exploration in the Creative Industries Noel Maloney 15
Young People’s Hopes and Fears for the Future Steven Cork and Jennifer Malbon 16
Facing Recruitment Challenges: Entering Workplace Practices James Cloutman and Graham Jenkins 17
PhDs and Future Practice Bernadine Van Gramberg 18
Educational Innovations: Preparing for Future Work Asheley Jones 19
Otherness in Practice (in the Health Professions) Janice Orrell and Julie Ash 20
Workplace Innovations and Practice Futures Thomas Carey, Farhad Dastur and Iryna Karaush
Part 4: Reflections
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Reflections about Work: What Might Be My Future Practice Roles? Joy Higgs Notes on Contributors
All those interested in the future of work and practice including: workers, employers, academic futurists, educators, members of society, scholars.