Humanities & Social Sciences

Arctic state identity

Geography, history, and geopolitical relations

by Ingrid A. Medby

Description

This book sets out to answer what it means to hold a formal title as one of the eight 'Arctic states'; is there such a thing as an Arctic state identity, and if so, what does this mean for state personnel? It charts the thoughtful reflections and stories of state personnel from three Arctic states: Norway, Iceland, and Canada, alongside analysis of documents and discourses. This book shows how state identities are narrated as both geographical and temporal - understood through environments, territories, pasts and futures - and that any identity is always relational and contextual. As such, demonstrating that to understand Arctic geopolitics we need to pay attention to the people whose job it is to represent the state on a daily basis. And more broadly, it offers a 'peopled' view of geopolitics, introducing the concept and framework of 'state identity'.

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Rights Information

Albania, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo [DRC], Congo, Republic of the, Costa Rica, Ivory Coast, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, French Guiana, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Honduras, Hongkong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, China, Macedonia [FYROM], Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mexico, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Reunion, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Helena, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Somalia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tokelau, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela, Vietnam, Western Sahara, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Sudan, Cyprus, Palestine, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Liechtenstein, Azerbaijan, Jamaica, Kyrgyzstan, Dominican Republic, Myanmar, Monaco

Reviews

With increasing international attention directed northwards, the status of the eight Arctic states have taken on added geopolitical importance. However, a formal title is one thing, political practice and feelings of attachment is another. This book sets out to answer whether there is such a thing as an Arctic state identity, and specifically what this might mean for state personnel. It focuses on three of the eight Arctic states, where identity has been frequently talked about by political leaders: Norway, Iceland, and Canada. By focusing on three diverse cases of Arctic state identity, the book charts similarities and differences across state contexts. As soon becomes clear, there is no singular Arctic state identity, but rather numerous relational articulations of what it means to represent and 'be' Arctic. These identities are narrated as both geographical and historical, yet the ways in which they come to matter are always social, political, and cultural. The book offers a new perspective and powerful insights from 'inside' the state in a time when Arctic geopolitics is high on the agenda. And more broadly, it presents a 'peopled' understanding of geopolitics, charting the rich stories, experiences, and thoughtful reflections of state personnel. Introducing the original concept and framework of 'state identity', the book brings together views of statehood and national identity, showing the human side of representing a state.

Author Biography

Ingrid Agnete Medby is a Senior Lecturer in Human Geography at Newcastle University.

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Bibliographic Information

  • Publisher Manchester University Press
  • Publication Date January 2025
  • Orginal LanguageEnglish
  • ISBN/Identifier 9781526153906 / 1526153904
  • Publication Country or regionUnited Kingdom
  • FormatPrint PDF
  • Pages240
  • ReadershipCollege/higher education; Professional and scholarly
  • Publish StatusPublished
  • Dimensions216 X 138 mm
  • Biblio NotesDerived from Proprietary 5330
  • Reference Code13582

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