Biggest social shifts in 2012
Image via WikipediaWith the passing of 2011, many of us wave goodbye to a season marked by persistent questions about public institutions and a general belief that, surely, things can only get better. But what challenges can we expect to face as a society in 2012? Here are my predictive picks for the 12 biggest social shifts we might expect to see in 2012.
Hyper-Tech & Refuseniks: We will see a growing role for professional ethicists in corporate and government strategic planning, as new developments in medicine, bio-tech, genetics and other sectors stretch traditional ethics paradigms to the limit. Well organised groups of 'technology refuseniks' will emerge, calling for slowing of change in technological research and development...
De-Gadgetisation & the Neo-Frugals: 2012 will see a drive to recalibrate our reliance on digital communications. New psychological terms will be introduced to describe fresh symptoms of psychological or social disorder derived from a heavy reliance on gadgets. A neo-frugalism movement will emerge, urging a less consumer-driven lifestyle with greater levels of human interaction...
Employment - Skills Gaps & Time Starvation: Greater longevity of life, combined with continuing low fertility rates, will lead to gradually widening skills-gaps within various industries. We will see e
Image by ghostdad via Flickrmployers' organisations seeking more government and private support for train-at-work schemes, plus an increase in 'time starvation', where people find it difficult to leave work behind at the end of the day... Generations: Expectation Gaps & New Opportunities: 2012 will see the beginnings of strong social influence for the Millennial generation. A more vocal and organised activism will emerge within this highly collaborative generation in an attempt to engage political decision-making and solve problems such as the 'expectation gap'....
Housing-Haves vs. Housing-Have-Nots: A more strident debate will emerge about the shortage of housing stock and the growing wealth gap between those who own homes and those who cannot get a start on the housing ladder. Calls will emerge for a greater involvement of professional town planners in local development schemes, and governments will face pressure to changes to renting laws...
Image via WikipediaUrban Expansion & Public Works: Public services will come under significant strain in 2012, due in part to the growth of urban populations, especially in regional areas. Politicians will come under pressure to demonstrate that they are future-minded, having clear strategies to enhance employment, travel, housing, public services and quality of life in the light of population growth... Cohesion & Tribalism: We'll see a widening of social gaps in terms of wealth distribution and access to education, full-time employment and cutting-edge technology. New expressions of negative tribalism will emerge in some communities as alliances form around a sense of marginalisation and frustration. Access to housing may start to match unemployment as the major trigger point for unrest in poorer areas...
Anxiety: A strong, stoic form of optimism will find expression in many parts of society throughout 2012 and there will be a greater trend toward self-reliance. However, insecurities regarding the economic landscape, combined with the generally rapid speed of change in technology, social structures and environmental issues will lead to a rise in anxiety and other forms of psychological distress...
Family Issues: Groups who are concerned about what they see
Image via Wikipedia
Image via Wikipedia as the postmodern 'redefining', or weakening, of the family unit will engage more stridently with those calling for a widening of the meaning of 'family', to include a range of non-traditional relational possibilities. The debate will focus on issues of child welfare and adult rights... Leadership & Public Trust: Major public institutions will continue to be placed under the microscope over the ethics and accountability of their leadership. Educational institutions, the courts and organs of local and regional government will become a focus of attention...
Innovation vs. Information: Entrepreneurs will emerge with new approaches to seemingly intractable problems in every sphere of activity from manufacturing to medical technology. 'Crowd funding' via the internet will become big business. Diverse business and community interest groups will pull together to brainstorm strategies for building clusters around certain industries....
Privacy: Discussions about privacy will centre on the increasing role of social networking and mobile phone services in providing data-mining opportunities for marketing companies. There will be strong public pressure to see that opt-out clauses for services such as lifestyle logging are clear and respected. ID-theft will be made easier by the growing use of wave-and-pay and other RFID-driven technologies...
Conclusion: The only thing that is certain about the future is, of course, its uncertainty. By taking a proactive stance toward 2012 and committing to an optimistic outlook - one where realism is tempered with a dash of idealism - we can make choices, individually and collectively, that will call forth what Abraham Lincoln called our 'better angels'. We, as conscientious people, have the opportunity to shape 2012 more than it will shape us.
