Future dreams and spaces in Eastern Africa. Practices of imagination and doing-geography in development contexts

• Applicant: Dr. Christiane Stephan
• Subject Area: Human Geography
• Term: from 2020 to 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 432274465

This research project deals with practices of the imagination of the future and associated spatial practices in selected social groups in East Africa. It will examine how future is visualized and which specific imaginative practices contribute to the implementation of new spatial planning and visions of the future in Kenya ("Vision 2030") and Tanzania ("Development Vision 2025"). The significant influence of political visions on socio-spatial processes can be seen, for example, in a "Vision 2030" formulated by the Kenyan government. Visions for the future development of Kenya, developed by selected actors, shape the planning and practical implementation of prestigious but controversial development projects. But where do these visions come from? With which visual narratives do they convince? And which other visions of the future that exist in society are marginalized when these "great visions" are formulated? While ideas of the future are addressed in many scientific works, but are only marginally conceptually and methodically penetrated, this project addresses the challenge of identifying individual and societal visions of the future and, in their analysis, taking into account in particular the visual components of these imaginative processes. One basic assumption is that imaginative practices have specific spatial and temporal logics that result in the production of concrete images of space and time as well as spatial and temporal orders. As a starting hypothesis, it can be formulated that different, competing imaginative practices exist in societies, some of which prevail in political and social discourse as "possible" visions of the future and others of which are rejected or marginalized as "impossible" visions of the future. Spatial images (e.g. maps, building plans, graphics in strategy papers, animations, photos, videos) and (as yet) non-materialised imaginations of social actors (e.g. ideas, desires) play a decisive role in social negotiation processes about the future. The aim of this research project is to further conceptualize approaches in human geography towards imaginative practices and spatial images (of the future). Furthermore, the project aims to further develop qualitative research methods, in particular (participative) visual methods in geography, and to contribute to their discussion and empirical validation in geography.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants