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The Role of Social Sciences in the Arctic in the 21st Century

The Role of Social Sciences in the Arctic in the 21st Century. Gail Fondahl, PhD President, IASSA The Arctic in the First Decade of the 21 st Century: Between Competition and Cooperation 23 November 2012 Wroclaw , Poland. The Role of Social Sciences in the Arctic . Key Realizations.

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The Role of Social Sciences in the Arctic in the 21st Century

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  1. The Role of Social Sciences in theArctic in the 21st Century Gail Fondahl, PhD President, IASSA The Arctic in the First Decade of the 21st Century: Between Competition and Cooperation 23 November 2012 Wroclaw, Poland

  2. The Role of Social Sciences in the Arctic Key Realizations Map of Today’s Talk Key Changes in Arctic: Social Science Dimensions Key Arctic Social Science Organizations • 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

  3. It’s about climate change –and more

  4. 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

  5. Beyond Climate Change:Rapid Socio-Economic Change • Demographic Change • Economic Change • Political Change • Cultural Change • Changes in Well-Being

  6. 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

  7. Demographic Change • Declining Population in Many Areas • Outmigration of Young/Working Age

  8. Demographic Change • Increased Urbanisation • Growing Imbalance in Sex Ratio • Growing Ethnic Diversity

  9. The Arctic Economy • International Resource Economy • Transfer Economy • Traditional Economy

  10. Key Changes in the Arctic Economy • Commoditization • Privatization • Geographical Concentration (continued) • Questions of Access, Benefits Distribution, Sustainability

  11. Changes in the Arctic Economy, cont’d • Global rise in raw materials prices • Increased demand from East Asia

  12. Increased Accessibility as a Driver of Change Climate change, political change • Increased Shipping • Fisheries: Growth, Changes • Increased Mineral/Hydrocarbon Extraction • Increased Tourism

  13. 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

  14. Culture Change • Mandatory Schooling, In-migration, Urbanisation, Wage Labor • Communications Technologies, Social Media • Mass Media/Global Culture • Cultural Stress • Cultural Adaptation, ‘Fusion’

  15. Well-Being: Improvements, Heightened Disparities • Improved Health Services • Introduction of New Diseases • High Rates of ‘Social Pathologies’, Mental Illnesses

  16. 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

  17. 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

  18. Bottom-up Circumpolar + Encourages interdisciplinary, trans-disciplinary research (including via ICASS) Members involved in key Arctic Social Science Projects

  19. Social & Human Sciences Working Group Scientific Foci Indigenous peoples and change: adaptation and cultural and power dynamics Exploitation of natural resources: past, present, future Human health and well-being Perceptions and representations of the Arctic Histories and methodologies of arctic sciences and arts Cross-cutting Security, international law and cooperation People and coastal processes Competing forms of resource use in a changing environment Perceptions and representations of arctic science Human health, wellbeing and ecosystem change Collaborative community research on climate change Steering Group Chair: Peter Schweitzer Vice-Chair: Sylvie Blangy Vice-Chair: Gail Fondahl Past Chair: LouwrensHacquebord

  20. 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)

  21. 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

  22. Thank you

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