Waterscapes in the Bothnian Bay and beyond

Water covers most of the planet, taking on different forms—such as ice, snow, and vapor—and appearing in various places, from rivers and lakes to seas and oceans. It plays a central role in local histories, cultures, human activities, conflicts, and decision-making in countless ways in seas such as the sub-arctic Bay of Bothnia.

This symposium aims to push the boundaries of water studies in social and cultural sciences, encouraging a deeper understanding of water beyond its traditional role as a natural resource to be governed, owned, and used. We challenge the conventional approaches to water by examining complex, water-society relations, and everyday water-related practices.

Land-based methods of knowledge production largely ignore the enormous role that water plays in our everyday life. In the era of global environmental crisis, however, land and water can no longer be separated from each other – on an ontological or epistemological level, as well as in practice in everyday life. The terrestrial logic in maritime and fisheries policies, in which water bodies are seen as static spaces, is poorly suited to managing complex relations. This critical perspective disrupts the typical boundaries between sea and land and utilitarian approaches to governance. It opens the door to exploring multispecies relationships and their complexities in the age of global human impact.

Call for Papers

In particular, we are interested in the relationality of water. When looking at water, different relationships and networks become visible, between people, other species and water bodies. Our regional focus is the northernmost part of the Baltic Sea, the Bothnian Bay and its catchment area, including the main rivers. The Bothnian Bay in Northern Europe provides an excellent yet understudied case study of complex water-society relations in a sub-arctic context. People, land and water meet in numerous locations: by the bay and the sea, around the and on the islands, coasts, deltas, and by the rivers. The bay has a rich history of cross-border interactions; cultural, political, and economic significance of the sea, islands, and rivers; a complex system of governance; and multiple transformations in human-nature relations. Papers beyond the Bothnian Bay on Arctic water-society relations are also welcome!

We invite conceptual, methodological, artistic and empirical papers from various disciplines and fields that discuss the theme of the symposium.

Please email your abstract to Sohvi Kangasluoma (sohvi.kangasluoma@ulapland.fi) by 31.5.2026. The abstract should be 250-300 words and include a title, your name, affiliation, and contact information.

Important Dates

  • 31.3. First call for papers to be published
  • 31.4. Second call for papers to be published
  • 31.5. Deadline for abstract submission
  • 18.6. Acceptance of abstracts and the program to be published
  • 10.8. Deadline for registration for participants

The symposium is arranged in a hybrid mode. There is no participation fee.

Organizing Team

  • Research professor Monica Tennberg,
  • University researcher Hannah Strauss-Mazzullo,
  • University researcher Sohvi Kangasluoma, and
  • Doctoral candidate Heidi Konttinen,
  • Critical Arctic Studies research team, Arctic Centre, University of Lapland

The event is part of the activities of the Sustainable Nature Cultures (SUMU) research community at the University of Lapland.

The event is also a part of the UArctic CAS thematic network’s activities. The network aims to challenge mainstream, simplified, and stereotypical understandings of the Arctic and its development, engage more standpoints and voices for diverse reflective assessments of policy, and elevate the area’s and its future’s importance on a global scale. For more information, visit criticalarcticstudies.com.

(Banner photo: Heidi Konttinen)

Last updated: 31.3.2026