Doing regions: Multiplicity and singularization in the ontological politics of the Arctic

In this paper, I show that the “turn to ontology” and the associated notion of ontological politics offer a fruitful basis for reworking the established constructionist and relational conceptualizations of regions, while providing new openings for empirical research on regional politics. From the ontological position offered by the turn to ontology regions are coextensive with the practices that enact them, and if there are practices that enact different versions of a region, then the region itself is multiple—more than one, but less than many. By emphasizing the exclusions, distributions, and coordination of the spatially and temporally situated practices that enact the region multiple the ontological politics of regions are made amenable for analysis. Empirically, I focus on the case of the Arctic region. In the context of multilateral Arctic cooperation, I show how the spatiality of the region is enacted through cooperative practices, and how distribution enables the coexistence of otherwise mutually exclusive practices. By drawing on an analysis of Finland's Arctic strategy, I further discuss the process of coordination in which different versions of the Arctic are made to cohere in policy practices. Finally, I analyze the effects of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and discuss whether it propels the militarization of the Arctic, which here refers to the ontological politics of singularization in which the multiplicity of the Arctic is challenged by military security. I conclude by calling for further attention to be placed on the political geographies of enacted geographical entities.