FS 3.177: Experiences of Loss and Future Imaginaries

A feeling of loss is currently shaking society’s faith in desirable futures. As a consequence of upheld unsustainable society-nature relations, which culminated in intertwined global crises, this sentiment is no longer understood as a psychological phenomenon but as a collective social experience. These characteristics of our time become particularly evident in mountain areas. Glaciers are dwindling, vital precipitation is either scarce or so heavy that economic sectors are losing planning security and people are losing their livelihoods, and the exodus of young people from peripheral communities is not only causing the disappearance of essential infrastructures, but also the erosion of traditions and community cohesion. In this session, we pose the question of how these experiences of loss shape the actions and (future) imaginaries of people living in mountain areas. We aim to assemble theoretical and empirical insights into the experience of loss and hence to explore the narratives surrounding these experiences, along with their practical implications and repercussions on future imaginaries. We specifically invite researchers from human geography, sociology and applied psychology concerning the following questions: -Is loss a one-way path to resignation, or does it also open (imaginary) pathways toward socio-ecological transformation? -What kind of future visions and ideas guide the actions of people living in mountain areas? -How can we study the future(s) of these areas considering the often-neglected aspects of affectivity and alternative understandings of human-environment relations?