Populations and reproduction in situated Anthropocene realities
A study on the scientific governing of life forms across the Nordic region
4-year research project funded by Academy of Finland 2026-2030
Bringing together STS and Design research, the project explores how the concept of population is used to shape society and the environment.
To address social and ecological challenges of today, it is important to understand how different human and more-than-human groups are identified, studied, managed, and valued. The project investigates situated Anthropocene realities by focusing on how scientific knowledge about populations is produced across fields and across species in the Nordics.
The project explores the scientific work of constructing populations in four cases that involve societal and political urgency concerning reproduction in liquid surroundings, aiming to 1) understand how scientists study and define human and nonhuman populations in different contexts, 2) develop a methodological approach for social science comparisons on reproduction and other life conditions across multiple species and 3) work with research participants to imagine more equal and sustainable futures for the living.
The project team: Mianna Meskus, Marianne Mäkelin, Emilia Tikka and Johanna Ervast.