Run to the future: Unpack design fiction through risk perception, social capital and coping strategy

Scientific research into the factors that trigger action for young generations is still limited, and attention is mainly focused on environmental issues (Pareira and Mouro, 2023). Moreover, when eco-anxiety is defined by the environmental changes impacting people (Albrecht et al., 2007), our reflection goes beyond the simple logic of ecology to extend to the connections of the individual to his environment. We propose to focus on three aspects of this environment: citizenship, work and ecology. Thus, we ask the following question: To what extent can design fiction change the future perspective of students? Given this context, we conducted an experimentation survey deploying a design fiction teaching module (future of citizenship, future of work, ecology). The aim is to analyze the factors that lead students to imagine and react to the future scenarios. To meet this objective, we surveyed 4,000 students belonging to a network of private higher education establishments. These students attended a design fiction module based on three future-oriented themes (their relationship to citizenship, the future of work and the ecology). The administered questionnaire focuses on the personal (self-confidence) and inter-personal (social capital) determinants leading students to react favorably (active coping strategies) or unfavorably (perceived risk) to the futures proposed to them. The expected results of this work-in-progress will determine: 1/ whether the student's (inter)personal determinants impact (dis)favorably on his or her role in the future (active coping strategies); 2/ whether perception of the future evolves according to the imagined scenarios according to the several themes (citizenship, work, ecology). Last but not least, the results will be also compared for the same students, before and after attending the module, to show off the possible effect of the design fiction module.