Caring for Life in the Arctic
During the past decade, various policies, strategies, and concepts have been developed to safeguard life on Earth. Among these, sustainability transformations aim to promote the well-being of communities within planetary limits; green transitions advocate for fossil-free futures; and nature transitions focus on halting biodiversity loss. A key difference between these approaches lies in their conception of care, specifically, how human flourishing is inherently linked to the well-being of all living beings, whether on land, in the oceans, or the air. We also witness polarization around the very idea of care for life itself. While natural and social science research advances our understanding of complex human-nature entanglements, political movements seeking to erase pluralistic approaches and worldviews are gaining traction worldwide.
Politics and economies of care in the Arctic
The Critical Arctic Studies Symposium 2025 brings together experts to discuss politics and economies of care, specifically focusing on life in the Arctic region. Care for the Arctic takes different forms, is a cross-disciplinary concern, institutionalized in various ways, and involves multi-scalar political and economic action. In the spirit of Matters of Care by María Puig de la Bellacasa, care can be perceived as everything that is “done to maintain, continue, and repair ‘the world’ so that all can live in it as well as possible”. Care can also be disruptive, violent, and conflictive as the interests of different actors often clash across space and time. What appears to be a caring project in one place may result in the opposite for (non)human life elsewhere. One can also ask how much it is possible to care for (distant) other (non)humans. Moreover, care can be strenuous and exhausting for those who care and those who are cared for.
We are delighted to welcome two outstanding keynote speakers to our symposium. Peter Hemmersam, who is an architect and professor of urban design at the Oslo School of Architecture and Design, and Anu Valtonen, a critical feminist scholar at the organization and tourism studies interface.
The event will also be an opportunity to promote a proposal for a special issue under the theme “Care for life in the Arctic: Politics, economics, infrastructures and more-than-human relations". We seek contributions critically engaging with the politics and practices of care for life in the Arctic.
The symposium is arranged in a hybrid mode. There is no participation fee.
Call for papers
We invite conceptual and empirical papers from various disciplines and fields that discuss issues of caring for life in an Arctic context. Please email your abstract to Dorothee Bohn (dorothee.bohn@ulapland.fi) by 15.6.2025. The abstract should be 250-300 words and include a title, your name, affiliation, and contact information.Important dates
- Deadline for abstract submission 15.6.2025
- Information about accepted abstracts 21.6.2025
- The program will be ready on 15.8.2025