Posted by Here are a few more interesting, intriguing and potentially disruptive ideas I’ve run across as I continue the futures learning journey. Where appropriate – I’ll offer some brief commentary and some questions along the way! Do you have a link or idea you think is worth sharing? Share it here or email it to me at nissen@pdx.edu!! Thanks for visiting.
Economics
- What if capitalism is the problem? Interesting piece about millenials attitudes (preview: changing) about the future of capitalism. Social workers need to be more fluent, creative and participatory in matters of economic, racial and other forms of justice, well-being and futures.
- What comes after capitalism? Perhaps “reparation ecology.” I’m intrigued. Many implications for our field. This is a review of a provocative book called “A History of the World in Seven Cheap Things.”
- How gamers make money. Fascinating short film about this emerging economy. Wondering how this will morph and evolve as time goes by.
Health and Technology
- Big investments coming in digital health – are social workers ready to contribute, participate and even lead in the future of digital and technology-enhanced health with an equity lens as our organizing principle?
- Artificial intelligence helping to make cancer treatments less toxic.
- Walking again after spinal injury with small implanted device being tested.
- Using Virtual Reality technology to build empathy in professional helpers.
Data Science
- What data scientists actually do. If a core skill of the future is computational thinking – and if the world will increasingly be running on “big data” then the rest of us have an obligation to at least understand what these scientists are really doing – if only in lay terms. How can we as social workers engage with this topic and these processes to play a role in assuring that big data serves the most vulnerable, not contributes further to exploitation? Ethics are mentioned as one of the biggest emerging challenges for this field. How can we insert ourselves into these dialogues and at least begin to ask the right questions?
Equity and Diversity Issues in the Future
- The future of diversity research (as conceptualized by the University of Michigan. Interesting read! I think social work scholars need to be part of leading this conversation, don’t you?
Climate Issues
- Low income and POC disproportionally impacted by smoke and other climate change issues. How can SW do more to raise awareness and increase our advocacy and energy towards this underdiscussed health and economic well-being issue?
Higher Education
- Is the future of higher education about “badges” instead of degrees? Wonder what the implications might be for social work study and practice – seems especially useful in the near future as folks build additional credentials beyond BSW and MSW designations.
- Google, Apple and 12 other companies that no longer require a college degree. Interesting developments in shifts around educational expectations and supports for sector specific learning on the job.
Social Work Futures 