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The Role of Social Sciences in theArctic in the 21st Century
Gail Fondahl, PhDPresident, IASSA
The Arctic in the First Decade of the 21st Century: Between Competition and Cooperation23 November 2012 Wroclaw, Poland
The Role of Social Sciences in the Arctic
Key Realizations• Fundamental causes and
consequences of change in the Arctic are social
• Solutions to deleterious effects of change are also social
• Integration of social and natural sciences is essential
Map of Today’s Talk• Key Changes in Arctic:
Social Science Dimensions• Key Arctic Social Science
Organizations
It’s about climate change
– and more
Climate change in the Arctic• Consequences of climate change
are primarily social
• Need to better understand – What factors influence individual &
collective responses – Political responses to climate change – Role of values, beliefs in perceptions
of climate change– Capacities to adapt (across space,
ethnicity, gender, etc)
SOCIAL SCIENCE ISSUES
Beyond Climate Change:Rapid Socio-Economic Change
Demographic Change
Economic Change
Political Change
Cultural Change
Changes in Well-Being
Who Lives in the Arctic?• Approx 4 M people • Approx 8% Indigenous (over
40 linguistic groups)
• Highly urbanized• A few large centres; rest of
population in very small, widely dispersed settlements
Demographic Change
• Declining Population in Many Areas
• Outmigration of Young/Working Age
Demographic Change
• Increased Urbanisation
• Growing Imbalance in Sex Ratio
• Growing Ethnic Diversity
The Arctic Economy
International Resource Economy
Transfer Economy
Traditional Economy
Key Changes in the Arctic Economy
Commoditization
Privatization
Geographical Concentration (continued)
Questions of Access, Benefits Distribution, Sustainability
Changes in the Arctic Economy, cont’d
Global rise in raw materials prices
Increased demand from East Asia
Increased Accessibility as a Driver of Change
Climate change, political change
Increased Shipping
Fisheries: Growth, Changes
Increased Mineral/Hydrocarbon Extraction
Increased Tourism
Political Change
End of cold war = reduced military tensions, cooperation
Decreased tensions – and relative situation related to other areas of globe – impacting desirability of resources, transport
routes New governance regimes
Culture Change
Mandatory Schooling, In-migration, Urbanisation, Wage Labor
Communications Technologies, Social Media
Mass Media/Global Culture
Cultural Stress
Cultural Adaptation, ‘Fusion’
Well-Being: Improvements, Heightened Disparities
Improved Health Services
Introduction of New Diseases
High Rates of ‘Social Pathologies’, Mental Illnesses
Arctic Social Sciences: Contributions
• Understanding drivers of change; complexities of processes
• Identification of trends; measuring human development in the Arctic
• Co-production of knowledge with local residents/stakeholders
• Building partnerships with natural scientists for integrated research
• Delivery of relevant knowledge to decision-makers, policy bodies, Arctic residents
Arctic Social Sciences: Key International Organizations
• International Arctic Social Sciences Association
• International Arctic Sciences Committee– Social & Human Working
Group
• University of the Arctic• Arctic Council Sustainable
Development Working Group
• Bottom-up• Circumpolar + • Encourages
interdisciplinary, trans-disciplinary research (including via ICASS)
• Members involved in key Arctic Social Science Projects
Canada19%
Denmark2%
Greenland2%
Finland4%
France4%
Germany2%
Iceland7%
Norway4%
Russia24%
Sweden3%
UK3%
USA19%
Other6%
Steering Group
Chair: Peter Schweitzer Vice-Chair: Sylvie Blangy Vice-Chair: Gail Fondahl Past Chair: Louwrens Hacquebord
Scientific Foci
Histories and methodologies of arctic sciences and arts
Indigenous peoples and change: adaptation and cultural and power dynamics
Human health and well-being
Cross-cutting
Perceptions and representations of arctic science
Social & Human Sciences Working Group
Exploitation of natural resources: past, present, future
Perceptions and representations of the Arctic
Security, international law and cooperation
Collaborative community research on climate change
Human health, wellbeing and ecosystem change
Competing forms of resource use in a changing environment
People and coastal processes
• Recognizes key social science projects– Arctic Human Development
Report-2– Arctic Social Indicators Project
• Observer status for key Arctic Organizations
• Social, Economic, Cultural Expert Group (under discussion)
Arctic Social Sciences:Looking Forward
• How do we make decisions in the face of uncertainty?– Key information from social sciences
• Critical to addressing challenges – in changing human-environment relations– In changing spheres of economy, politics, culture
Thank you