UNDER PRESSURE? THE NORM OF ARCTIC EXCEPTIONALISM IN A CHANGING ENVIRONMENT

Abstract

The Arctic region is thawing, both environmentally and operationally; perhaps most evident is the increased militarization of the Arctic. The ongoing thawing is forcing academics to reconsider the normative prescription of Arctic exceptionalism, which has defined the past nearly forty years of Arctic relations. However, despite these changes, scholars continue to recognize the continued interconnectedness of the Arctic, as well as the persistence of the institutions within it; certain Arctic norms continue to govern how the region is understood. This normative tenacity suggests that elements of Arctic exceptionalism persist, and even coexist with current events, and further research is needed to determine whether Arctic exceptionalism is still relevant. Therefore, this thesis will investigate the continued relevance of Arctic exceptionalism, seeking to answer the question: how is the norm of Arctic exceptionalism changing in the context of rising geopolitical tensions? To answer this question, this thesis will undergo a literature review of relevant contemporary scholarship on the Arctic. The thesis will then lay out its theoretical framework, social constructivism, which will be employed through thematic analysis to organize and understand elite interviews conducted about the region. Two themes will be highlighted, that being militarism and governmentality. This thesis will conclude that while the Arctic as a region is undergoing a period of heightened geopolitical and economic attention, climate change, and militarization in the region, the Arctic is still exceptional. Arctic geopolitical isolation is no longer a reality, but the region is still distinct, if not extraordinary.