Editorial

Abstract

"Future Guidance" is the theme of this call, a theme we consider central in the current landscape. But why future orientation and why centrality of orientation? And above all: what orientation for the future? These are some of the questions that the call has brought to the attention of interested authors, together with a reflection on the society in which we live. The entry of the new millennium has brought radical changes in society, in the world of work, in the way we live and relate to each other, in the way we communicate and in the economy. In addition, increasingly advanced and innovative technologies are permeating people's lives and have become indispensable in everyday life, as well as in professional life, changing the way we relate to others. These radical changes have contributed to the introduction of disruption and uncertainty into people's lives, to the extent that the perception of ‘being on the move’ is becoming more and more important. people's lives, so much so that the perception of ‘precariousness’ has become a constant in the lives of both young people and adults. The moment that humanity is facing has been well described by Z. Bauman (2011), whom he calls ‘liquid modernity’:
‘Modern civilisation was based on trust, first of all in one's own abilities.... Secondly there was trust in others, as rational human beings, and then in institutions.... All these three types of trust have disappeared. And if you lose this trust, you simply believe that you have no control over the future and that is a paralysing idea...'.

Indeed, whereas in the past it was possible to plan and build with hope and confidence, in the knowledge that one could look to the future without hesitation and difficulty, today this is no longer the case. It is evident that this loss of certainty, combined with the awareness of the collapse of the system of values that until recently had shown everyone the way forward, has determined the disorientation that characterises the present historical moment. Faced with this scenario of complexity, marked by discontinuity and fragmentation, the need to support people, young and old, in acquiring a strong personal and professional projectuality that, by consolidating hope and trust, makes them capable of facing the challenges of an uncertain future, is central. The call recognises the centrality of the role of guidance and emphasises its main characteristic, i.e. the capacity for evolution clearly mentioned in some contributions, which accompanies social changes and upheavals.