The Evolution of the Future Revisited

ISBN-13: 9781514840672 / Angielski / Miękka / 2015 / 210 str.

Frank W. Elwell

Opis

The Evolution of the Future Revisited is an update of the 1991 book that uses basic principles of sociology and a thorough background in history to evaluate and critique the forecasts of the ecologists, technologists, utopians and dystopians of the day. While most futurists rely upon simple trend analysis, Elwell contends that one must first understand the structure and dynamics of sociocultural systems-how the various parts of a society fit together and affect one another-before one can accurately identify the forces and likely direction of sociocultural change. There is a well-defined social evolutionary process, Elwell argues, and an understanding of this process is central in understanding the forces that are shaping the future. Revised and updated on its 21year anniversary, the book holds up remarkably well in its critiques as well as in its own unique vision of sociocultural systems and its forecasts for the future of industrial society.