Editors invite papers for a collection of articles in Polar Record on the human and societal dimensions of the various economic, social, and cultural processes changing Svalbard. Editors welcome contributions that address the different aspects of a “Changing Svalbard” from different angles and disciplines, ranging from social anthropology through sociology, archaeology, and political science to human geography, cultural studies, and arts, as well as papers from the environmental sciences that include a clear focus on the societal impacts of environmental changes. Editors encourage case studies that include a focus on the local scale and lived life on Svalbard. Submission deadline: 30 June 2020
Papers should examine the specificities of Svalbard’s different communities and simultaneously contribute to broader theoretical debates concerning topics such as sustainability; identity; globalization and climate change; and challenging dichotomies such as local/global, human/more-than-human, nature/culture, transience/attachment to place, and path dependency/transformation.
While the focus is on change in its various aspects, and Svalbard’s communities are easily perceived as ever-changing and extraordinary places, this issue will also trace continuities and shed light on the “ordinary” in life on the archipelago.
Given the current practice of Polar Record, editors are aiming for a separate collection of articles that form part of the special topic and will be made available online as a block. Current examples are available online.
Abstracts of potential contributions can be submitted via email to guest co-editor Alexandra Meyer. Invitations for full submissions, including research articles, short communications, commentaries, and review papers will be sent to respective authors by 15 July 2020.
Completed manuscripts can be submitted between 1 September and 15 November 2020.
All manuscripts must be submitted online through ScholarOne, choosing the special issue "Changing Svalbard" when prompted.
Submission deadline: 30 June 2020
For more information, go to:
Call for Papers
For questions, contact:
Alexandra Meyer
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
