This volume presents a selection of the Proceedings of the Workshop on Anticipation, Agency and Complexity held in Trento (Italy) on April 2017. The contributions contained in the book brilliantly revolve around three core concepts: agency, complexity and anticipation, giving precious insights to further define the discipline of anticipation. In a world that moves increasingly fast, constantly on the verge of disruptive events, more and more scholars and practitioners in any field feel in need of new approaches to make sense of the complexity and uncertainty that the future seems to bear. The theory of anticipation tries to describe how possible futures are intrinsically intertwined with the present.

Autorentext

Roberto Poli (PhD Utrecht), has been awarded the first UNESCO Chair in Anticipatory Systems. Poli is fellow of WAASWorld Academy of Art and Science and STIASStellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study. Poli is editor-in-chief of Axiomathes (Springer), editor of the series Categories (De Gruyter) and Anticipation Science (Springer). Poli heads the Master programme in Social Foresight, leads the research group eVita (short for 'età della vita', i.e. ages of life), and the European Life Project FRANCAFlood Risk Anticipation and Communication in the Alps. Poli has published six books, edited or co-edited more than 20 books or journal's special issues and published more than 250 scientific papers. His last publications include the volume Introduction to Anticipation Studies and the editorship of the Handbook of Anticipation, both by Springer. He teaches Social Foresight and Epistemology of the Social Sciences.

Marco Valerio (MSc Trento), is an independent researcher and consultant applying anticipation to organizational studies, international development and personal well-being. He blends his background in health and management to foster individuals and groups, taking into consideration how future expectations impact the present.

Inhalt
Chapter 1. Pragmatic Utopias (Poli, R.).- Chapter 2. The role of mindsets and attitudes in determining future awareness (Valerio, M.) .- Chapter 3. Multilayeredness of anticipation (Zaborowski).- Chapter 4. Self-defeating Prophecies: When Sociology Really Matters (Sabetta).- Chapter 5. Pioneer analysis as a futures research method for analysing transformations (Heinonen Karjalainen).- Chapter 6. The notion of existential risk and its role for the anticipation of technological development's long-term impact (Paura,).- Chapter 7. Anticipations of Digital Sustainability. Self-delusion, disappointments and expectations (Alvarez-Pereira, C).- Chapter 8. Energy transition, anticipation and change. A study on the anticipatory experiences of the low carbon society (Caiati, Quinti D'Andrea,).- Chapter 9. Anticipative Processes in the Regeneration of Built Environment through Major Events (Fanzini Rotaru).- Chapter 10. A Strategic Proposal for the New Society: Surviving and Flourishing from Chaos (Fiorini, R.).- Chapter 11. Managing Emerging Risks in strategic scenarios of uncertainty and complexity: A Theoretical Framework (Cavatorta Rosso).