Respond to part I as well as part II. Part I counts 60%, part II counts 40%
Part I
Respond to one (1) of the tasks below:
- Explain why the Arctic was so strategically important during the cold war. How and to what extent might the present deterioration of relations between Russia and the West affect the strategic importance of this region? Headline: Strategic importance
- Several major Asian states have recently obtained formal observer status with the Arctic Council. What rights are enjoyed by states with this status as compared with the rights enjoyed by (1) Member States and (2) Permanent Participants? Analyze the question of whether and if so, how to involve non-Arctic states in the Arctic Council both from a geopolitical perspective and from a governance perspective. What are the main points of difference between your two analyses? Headline: Non-Arctic states in the Arctic Council
Part II
Respond to three (3) of the tasks below:
- Explain the differences among classical (or “imperialist”), modern (or “cold-war”) and critical geopolitics. What elements do these versions of geopolitics have in common? Headline: Varieties of geopolitics
- Give an account of the 2008 Ilulissat Declaration. What were the likely motives behind this declaration and why was it controversial among Arctic as well as non-Arctic states? Headline: Ilulissat Declaration
- Explain the differences among state security, societal security and human security, as defined by Tamnes and Offerdal 14. What is the meaning of environmental security and how does it fit into Tamnes’ and Offerdal’s terminology? Headline: Security concepts
- What is meant by the “Arctic amplification” of global warming? To what extent and how can this amplification justify a more prominent role for non-Arctic states in the Arctic Council? Headline: Arctic amplification and non-Arctic states