For the Sake of the Future: Can Democratic Deliberation Help Thinking and Caring about Future Generations?

Katariina Kulha, Mikko Leino, Maija Setälä, Maija Jäske and Staffan Himmelroos
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Katariina Kulha: Department of Philosophy, Contemporary History and Political Science, University of Turku, 20500 Turku, Finland
Mikko Leino: Department of Philosophy, Contemporary History and Political Science, University of Turku, 20500 Turku, Finland
Maija Setälä: Department of Philosophy, Contemporary History and Political Science, University of Turku, 20500 Turku, Finland
Maija Jäske: Social Science Research Institute, Åbo Akademi University, 20500 Turku, Finland
Staffan Himmelroos: Department of Politics and Communication, Helsinki University, 00100 Helsinki, Finland

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 10, 1-13

Abstract: This article examines whether democratic deliberation can enhance participants’ capacity to consider future generations’ perspectives and willingness to make sacrifices to ensure their well-being. In addition to normal deliberation, we are interested in the effects of a mental time travel exercise where deliberators imagine themselves in the future (without ageing). The study is based on an experiment conducted as a part of Citizens’ Assembly that contributed to the long-term planning of the Satakunta region in Finland. Our findings suggest that deliberation as such increases participants’ willingness to consider future generations’ perspectives in long-term planning; yet the mental time travel exercise had only a modest impact on perspective-taking. The results also show some support for the assumption that deliberation can enhance willingness to make sacrifices for future generations, although we do not see such an impact in case of an intergenerational conflict in flood protection.

Keywords: deliberation; future generations; future design (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:10:p:5487-:d:554394

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