New challenges for futures studies

Challenges coming from futures studies to other disciplines because of the rapidity and inter-relatedness of changes for which no discipline on its ow n can face the different correlated and global challenges, will be examined mainly in relation to social sciences. social sciences on the other hand r eflect the need to overcome fragmentation within each discipline and betwee n the various social sciences, in an effort at least of interdisciplinarity to face the growing uncertainty in decision making at every level: local, national and international. Social sciences are also slowly realising that a future oriented perspective is needed to empower analysis and actually re flect society in its continuous dynamicity. Citizens need the possibility t o live within the rapidity of changes in the Information Society through th e availability of futures studies in different forms as well as social anal ysis that is dynamic and interdisciplinary. The special link between societ y and ecological issues in a future oriented perspective will be the specif ic area to express the relevancy of the correlation between futures studies and social sciences. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.