The Big Map: an Overview of the Civic Imagination
This Atlas of the Civic Imagination contains a collection of stories that inspire the civic imagination originating from different parts of the world. The stories are mapped across four general genres:
The map above contains all entries across these categories as well their Contributors. Participants can also migrate, remix and re-create stories by combining elements from one or more submission.
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.
"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 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)
