Doctoral Dissertation Research: Light and Governance in the Russian Arctic

Russia has recently initiated infrastructural and socio-economic re-development projects in Arctic coastal towns. These state-led governance initiatives have occurred amidst the expansion of corporate energy infrastructure, transforming local practices. This research explores the concept of a “light regime”—the configurations of power and identity surrounding use of and access to artificial light within the broader context of extreme seasonal variation in the Arctic.

Results from this work will contribute to two dimensions of Arctic sustainability: on-going transitions to renewable energy sources in remote locations and questions of urban sustainability related to energy security, economic diversification, and transportation connectivity.

This project entails ethnographic and archival research, including fieldwork in Tiksi and two months of research in Yakutsk, the capital of the Sakha Republic. Work will focus on three populations: state officials, employees of energy companies, and local residents and visitors. Ethnographic data will be collected through photo and diary solicitations, interviews, collaborative mapping, policy analysis, object-based research, and auto-ethnography.

Research will result in a dissertation and peer-reviewed publications. Broader impacts will be achieved through a collaborative museum exhibit and presentation of research findings in public venues.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.