Digital imaginaries, lived experiences, and Arctic Ocean futures: Between global representations and situated knowledges.

Barbu, Laetitia and Jiang, Yang (2026) Digital imaginaries, lived experiences, and Arctic Ocean futures: Between global representations and situated knowledges. The NORPAK Review, 1 (1). pp. 67-74.

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Abstract

Digital environments increasingly shape how Arctic Ocean futures are imagined, represented, and discussed. Through social media, digital storytelling, video games, and immersive media such as virtual and augmented reality, representations of the Arctic circulate across diverse social, cultural, and geographical contexts, influencing understandings of environmental change, sustainability, governance, and development. Drawing on sociotechnical imaginaries (Jasanoff & Kim, 2015) and participatory culture (Jenkins, 2006), this research note examines how globally circulating digital representations of Arctic futures relate to situated forms of knowledge grounded in lived experiences, local ecologies, cultural practices, and long-term relationships with northern environments. Particular attention is given to the role of young people as participants in contemporary digital cultures who engage with both globally circulating imaginaries and locally grounded experiences. While digital environments can create opportunities for participation and alternative forms of representation, the visibility and influence of different perspectives remain shaped by unequal distributions of technological, economic, and cultural power. The paper argues that ethical collaboration and reciprocal engagement provide important frameworks for critically examining questions of representation, authority, and responsibility, and points toward practice-led, researchcreation approaches as concrete sites for situated voices in discussions of Arctic Ocean futures.

Item Type:	Article
Publisher’s Statement:	The NORPAK Review is published by the Northern Research, Policy, and Arctic Knowledge Hub (NORPAK) and the Department of Sociology at Northern Arizona University. NORPAK and the Department of Sociology hold membership in the University of the Arctic (UArctic), an international network of universities, research institutes, and organizations engaged in northern and Arctic research and education.
Keywords:	Arctic Ocean futures; Digital imaginaries; Youth engagement; Immersive media; Situated knowledges
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HM Sociology
Department/Unit:	Journals > The NORPAK Review
Date Deposited:	02 Oct 2026 18:17
Last Modified:	02 Oct 2026 18:17
URI:	https://openknowledge.nau.edu/id/eprint/6374

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