An ethnographic future research study of Knoxville, Tennessee's empowerment zone

This thesis examines the efficiency of Ethnographic Futures Research (EFR) in Knoxville, Tennessee's Empowerment Zone. Although EFR has rarely been used in community development, it is an intense visioning process that helps communities envision their future through three different scenarios: optimistic, pessimistic, and most likely. As a result, EFR helps prepare communities for uncertain events occurring in the future. Such research does not predict the future. Alternatively, EFR is a way to accordingly plan for the unknown using various pictures about the future. The core of this project involved interviewing a respectable individual who is knowledgeable about the area. The purpose of the interviews was to analyze the community's history and current trends in order to produce viable scenarios about Knoxville's Empowerment Zone. It was determined that the scenarios are useful and can help promote optimal growth in the area.