Civic Imagination Project: Overview
“We cannot change the world unless we imagine what a better world might look like.”
—Henry Jenkins (2016)
Scratch an activist and you’re apt to find a fan. It’s no mystery why: fandom provides a space to explore fabricated worlds that operate according to different norms, laws, and structures than those we experience in our “real” lives. Fandom also necessitates relationships with others: fellow fans with whom to share interests, develop networks and institutions, and create a common culture. This ability to imagine alternatives and build community, not coincidentally, is a basic prerequisite for political activism.
—Steven Duncombe (2012a)
We define civic imagination as the capacity to imagine alternatives to current social, political, or economic conditions; one cannot change the world unless one can imagine what a better world might look like. Too often, our focus on contemporary problems makes it impossible to see beyond immediate constraints and engender a sense that youth voices and action are inconsequential.
This Atlas contains a collection of stories that inspire the civic imagination originating from different parts of the world. Gathered from different places around the world, the stories fit three general genres:
- traditional (mythic/religious and folk)
- popular culture
- biography of existing person (historical or contemporary)
Find out more about the contributors and their stories here.
