Hannah Strauss-Mazzullo, Sohvi Kangasluoma, and Monica Tennberg (POST-BOTHNIA project) are organizing this panel on water-society relations.
Water as an object and participant in politics
The world of politics does not only consist of land and air, water covers the majority of the planet. In its different forms and places, water is a part of societal activities and decision-making in multiple ways. Water is often considered in political science as an important natural resource, an object of cooperation and conflict, and technically governable. Water-related phenomena are also seen increasingly as societal problems and risks, such as floods threatening populated areas, rising sea levels, and groundwater pollution. Animals dependent on water – salmon, freshwater pearl mussels, and seals – unite and separate people, but also motivate them to political action. Water as a perspective on human-nature relations problematizes the typical demarcation between sea and land areas and enables an examination of the political significance of water nature and its diversity. In the session, we hope for presentations that discuss water in its various forms and social contexts, which examine the political nature of water and its intertwining with human existence, activities, and everyday life in different ways. Presentations can be theoretical, empirical, or artistic.
More information on the Finnish Political Science Days April 14–16th 2025, held in Rovaniemi: https://www.ulapland.fi/FI/Tapahtumia/Politiikan-tutkimuksen-paivat-2025/Tyoryhmat-
If you would like to propose a paper, please contact Monica Tennberg (monica.tennberg@ulapland.fi) by 28 February. Presentations in Finnish or English are ok.
Thematic Network on Critical Arctic Studies 