Utopia is a concept that fascinates scholars stemming from a variety of research traditions (e.g. literature, philosophy, educational sciences and sociology). From the pun of ‘good’ (εὖ/eu) and ‘no’ (οὐ/ou) ‘place’ (τόπος/topos), it is often described as the never attainable goal of an imaginary good place where humankind could live in harmony. However, utopia could equally be deployed as a method, rather than as a goal: as an approach not just to imagine but also to create another world (see Levitas, 2013). Within an anti-utopian or dystopian thinking, the results are clear, even totalitarian certain. The opposite is at stake when exploring a utopian methodology: a prefiguration of a utopian future is always open, unclear, uncertain. Even as the philosophical positionality is not always made explicit, a utopian methodology nurtures scholars in educational intervention studies (Rajala et al., 2023), in (participatory) action research approaches (Egmose et al., 2020) and in projects that coproduce knowledge in communities (Bell & Pahl, 2017). Despite differences between these studies, they share a commitment to imagining new possibilities, to creating transformations in society and organizations, to critically assessing our current state of play, and to sensitizing for sustainability, equity and democracy. Within my current ethnographical project, I inquire learning materials and strategies developed in a specific educational organization. This organization has a strong commitment to an equitable and democratic education system: within the same organizational structure it combines a school – where Bildung towards a better future is at stake for pupils who are behind, and a SME - a company designing profitable digital tools for the market of pupils with severe learning problems. The project is rooted in the so-called EdTechTestbed-movement, a growing branch in the Belgian field of education that seeks co-creation amongst educational, business and research institutions. Considering learning materials and strategies as utopian prefigurations is one methodological possibility: the everyday activities, the digital tools, the strategies of the teachers and company members could be seen as educational interventions towards a yet uncertain new future. Envisioning this future, grounded in the everyday materials and strategies, is one thing I would like to exemplify. However, also another utopian methodological, merely participatory approach is possible: organizations could participatory seek to develop differently towards a preferred future. By imagining and creating something new together, a utopian future can become viable and achievable, although this utopian envisioning is necessarily provisional, reflexive, dialogical (Levitas, 2013) and thus uncertain.

References: Bell, D. M., & Pahl, K. (2017). Co-production: Towards a utopian approach. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 21(1), 105-117. Egmose, J., Gleerup, J., & Nielsen, B. S. (2020). Critical Utopian Action Research: Methodological Inspiration for Democratization? International Review of Qualitative Research, 13(2), 233-246. Levitas, R. (2013). Utopia as method. The imaginary reconstitution of society. Palgrave Macmillan. Rajala, A., Cole, M., & Esteban-Guitart, M. (2023). Utopian methodology: Researching educational interventions to promote equity over multiple timescales. Journal of the Learning Sciences, 32(1), 110-136.