Sustainability, Economics, and Ethics (SEE)
Between Utopia, Dystopia and Notopia: Future Imaginaries and Prefigurative Organizing in an Argentinian Complementary Currency Organization
On September 20, Dr. Paola Raffaelli conducted a seminar as part of the outreach activities of the Sustainability, Economics and Ethics (SEE) research group. This group brings together researchers who collaborate on the intersection of topics related to sustainability, socioeconomic and ethical aspects, as well as issues of poverty, inequality, education, aporophobia, social exclusion, convergence and the environment, among others.
In her presentation, Dr. Raffaelli explored the diversity of imaginaries of the future in prefigurative organizations and how these visions influence forms of organization and critique of the current economic system. Prefiguration, understood as the process of creating radical alternatives in the present to materialize alternative futures, has historically been linked to utopian imaginaries. However, Dr. Raffaelli's research shows that it is not only ideal futures that drive the creation of new forms of organization. In many cases, individuals seek to avoid a disastrous near future rather than aspire to a utopia.
Based on an ethnographic study of a complementary currency organization in Argentina, founded in 2017, Dr. Raffaelli analyzed how different imaginaries of the future among its members influence prefigurative organizational forms. Throughout 18 months of research, which included participant observation and interviews, three major trends were identified: members motivated by utopian futures, those focused on preventing dystopias, and those seeking to solve immediate needs.
This work brings a new perspective to the debate on the relationship between imaginaries of the future and organizational forms, highlighting that prefiguration is not limited to the realization of utopias, but also includes the prevention of dystopias. Furthermore, it underlines the relevance of actors who, instead of focusing on distant futures, prioritize the resolution of immediate needs, a key dimension within prefigurative organizations.
With this presentation, the “Sustainability, Economics and Ethics” research group has initiated a series of seminars that will be held two or three times a month throughout the 2024-25 academic year. Details of the next sessions will be announced in due course.