Narrative futures: Inter- and transdisciplinary perspectives on the role of narratives in sustainability transformations

Narrative futures play an important role in sustainability transformations. Whether and how narratives built around positive visions or dystopian scenarios can motivate collective action and catalyze change is a particularly important question in transdisciplinary research. We explore insights from literary studies and a critical perspective on power, arguing that they can enhance our understanding of narrative futures. They offer ways to explore how narrative futures interact with broader societal discourses and political struggles, how they are constructed, and what impact they may have.

Authors

Publication Details

Journal
GAIA - Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society
Published
2025-10-16
DOI
https://doi.org/10.14512/gaia.34.3.4
Primary Topic
Climate Change Communication and Perception
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Narrative futures: Inter- and transdisciplinary perspectives on the role of narratives in sustainability transformations

André Schmale, Karoline Augenstein, Boris Bachmann, Tim Lanzendörfer et al.
GAIA - Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society
Climate Change Communication and Perception
article

Narrative futures: Inter- and transdisciplinary perspectives on the role of narratives in sustainability transformations

André Schmale, Karoline Augenstein, Boris Bachmann, Tim Lanzendörfer, Johanna Shapiro, Jenny Künkel
article en

Abstract

Narrative futures play an important role in sustainability transformations. Whether and how narratives built around positive visions or dystopian scenarios can motivate collective action and catalyze change is a particularly important question in transdisciplinary research. We explore insights from literary studies and a critical perspective on power, arguing that they can enhance our understanding of narrative futures. They offer ways to explore how narrative futures interact with broader societal discourses and political struggles, how they are constructed, and what impact they may have.

GAIA - Ecological Perspectives for Science and SocietyVol. 34(3)
Openalex Percentile: Top 61%
Climate Change Communication and Perception
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.