Course Syllabus
The Arctic: Peoples, Security and Ecosystem Change |
| Semester & Location: |
Fall 2026- DIS Stockholm |
| Type & Credits: |
Elective Course - 3 credits |
| Major Disciplines: |
Environmental Studies, Political Science, International Relations |
| Prerequisite(s): |
None |
| Faculty Members: |
Marcus Carson (current students please use the Canvas Inbox) |
| Time: |
Mondays, Thursdays at 13:15-14:35 |
| Classroom: |
TBA |
Course Description
The Arctic was long perceived as a frozen, dark and largely static expanse of territory at the top of the world. While this was always a misunderstanding, the pace of change over recent decades has made the Arctic a focus of attention - and a deep concern. Warming at as much as 4x the the global average, the pace of change is transforming ecosystems, communities, and geopolitics. The Arctic is no longer a distant frontier—it is both a region in transition and a bellwether for the planet’s - and humanity’s, future.
By situating the Arctic in the broader context of global environmental change, we better understand why “what happens in the Arctic doesn’t stay in the Arctic.” Feedbacks from Arctic systems influence global climate, sea levels, and weather patterns, while decisions made far beyond the region—such as global demand for resources, carbon emissions, or conservation policies—directly shape Arctic futures. The course emphasizes the interconnectedness of scales, demonstrating how local adaptation is tied to global transformations.
The theoretical lens for the course uses a resilience of social-ecological systems perspective to explore the dynamics of Arctic change, critical thresholds and the global significance of Arctic transformations.
During the course, students will examine the interplay of climate change, ecosystems, human societies, and governance systems in the circumpolar North. The course introduces the concepts of social-ecological systems and resilience, focusing on how complex systems can absorb disturbance, adapt, or experience system shifts in response to stressors and shocks. A major contribution of the Arctic Resilience Report—the identification of 19 Arctic regime shifts, ranging from sea-ice collapse and fisheries decline to tundra–forest transitions and cultural shifts—serves as a foundation for understanding thresholds and tipping points.
Along with ecological change, the course explores the social and political dimensions of resilience. Topics include justice and equity, resource development, food security, the geopolitics of a rapidly changing Arctic, and Indigenous rights and self-determination. The 2017 Synthesis for Policymakers will be used to examine how resilience thinking informs governance at multiple scales, from local community initiatives to global negotiations on climate and sustainability.
Students will engage with case examples drawn from the Report and its supporting literature, including examples of Arctic communities successfully adapting to change as well as those experiencing vulnerability and loss. The course draws on both scientific research and Indigenous knowledge systems, highlights the co-production of knowledge, and examines how diverse ways of knowing can contribute to resilience and adaptive capacity.
Learning Objectives
By the end of the course, you will:
- Have gained a foundational understanding of the factors driving Arctic change, including those influencing resilience of social and ecological systems of the Arctic.
- Have gained a working understanding of key theoretical concepts of social-ecological systems and resilience, including core concepts such as systems thinking, tipping points and scale.
- Recognize key drivers of change and potential regime shifts in Arctic social-ecological systems.
- Appreciate the role of Indigenous knowledge and community action in building resilience, as well as differences and commonalities between indigenous and conventional scientific knowledge
- Appreciate the historically unique and important role of the multi-lateral institutions of the Arctic, including the Arctic Council and its scientific Working Groups.
- Be able to assess the global significance of, and global drivers of Arctic change, including policies shaping the future of the Arctic and our planet.
Faculty
Marcus Carson
DIS Stockholm Faculty
Marcus Carson - Associate Professor of Sociology, PhD in political sociology from Stockholm University, BA in Psychology from Kalamazoo College. The central questions steering my work have been these: How do systems change, who has the power to change them, and what are the leverage points? My long-time focus has been bridging scientific research, policy and practice across fields of democracy & human rights and social & environmental sustainability. I was previously Senior Research Fellow at the Stockholm Environment Institute, where among other things, I led projects on climate policy, sustainable consumption, Arctic wetlands and the Arctic Resilience Report. In my earlier professional life (1980s-1990s), I was Executive Director for the Louisiana Health Care Campaign and Legislative & Political Director for SEIU Local 100 in Louisiana, winning expansions of health care access, voting rights improvements and protecting worker’s rights. Also an active runner, hiker and sea kayaker. New to DIS in 2025.
Readings
All required readings will be posted on Canvas. Readings combine peer-reviewed scholarship, Arctic Council publications, policy and practitioner pieces, Indigenous-authored sources and current journalism. A sampling of the literature includes:
The Arctic Resilience Report (2016) https://arctic-council.org/news/arctic-resilience-report-launched/ – also available in hard copy from the DIS library) and the subsequent Synthesis for Arctic Leaders (2017) PDF Synthesis for Arctic Leaders 2017, .
History of the Arctic Council and its institutions (Arctic Council): https://arctic-council.org/about/timeline/
The Arctic Council as a model for regional Cooperation (2022) - The Arctic Council as a Model for Regional Collaboration
Review of Arctic Policies and Strategies (Heinenen, 2020) https://www.arcticandnorth.ru/upload/iblock/1a9/166_171.pdf
Rekjavik Declaration Overview (Arctic Council, 2021) https://arctic-council.org/news/arctic-council-foreign-ministers-sign-the-reykjavik-declaration-adopt-councils-first-strategic-plan/
Arctic Indigenous Peoples: https://arctic-council.org/explore/topics/arctic-peoples/
Application of Indigenous Knowledge in the Arctic Council: https://iccalaska.org/wp-icc/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Application-of-IK-in-the-Arctic-Council.pdf
Arctic Climate Change Update 2024: Key Trends and Impacts: Summary for Policy Makers (AMAP): https://oaarchive.arctic-council.org/items/b57b8598-9825-472a-af1d-7d08a6e537fe
Arctic Wetlands: Time Bomb or Saving Grace? https://www.sei.org/publications/arctic-wetlands-time-bomb-or-saving-grace/
Don't Drain the Swamp! https://www.sei.org/perspectives/arctic-wetlands-climate-change-human-impacts/
Additional readings pertaining to the Arctic Council and its Working Groups, Indigenous Peoples’ organizations and related issues will be added
Field Studies
- Kayak tour/exercise in Stockholm (optional - must be able to swim)
- Nordiska Museet Arctic exhibition
- Security-related study visit (TBD)
Guest Lecturers
We will meet with experts working on Arctic climate science, Arctic security, Sámi rights and reindeer herding governance or Indigenous policy.
Approach to Teaching
My teaching philosophy is based on the assumption that learning is a collective endeavor in which the contribution of each individual influences how much is learned overall. Lectures can serve a valuable purpose both in highlighting elements in the readings, providing useful information and in stimulating creative thought. But genuine learning takes place only when you actively engage — in reading carefully, thinking critically, in raising questions and objections, and in listening to others. Engaged dialogue exercises our capacity to enrich our understandings of the world.
This course makes use of simulation and structured exercises. The simulation & exercises are designed to give you direct experience of the kinds of decisions, conflicts, and tradeoffs the course material describes. The goal is to experience different goal conflicts and situations from the inside.
DIS Accommodations Statement
Your learning experience in this class is important to me. If you have approved academic accommodations with DIS, please make sure I receive your DIS accommodations letter within two weeks from the start of classes. If you can think of other ways I can support your learning, please don't hesitate to talk to me. If you have any further questions about your academic accommodations, contact Academic Support academicsupport@dis.dk
Expectations of the Students
My expectation is that you will actively engage in the learning process, both inside and outside the classroom.
The course uses a variety of pedagogical methods, including lectures, discussions, student presentations, policy simulations, and study visits. We will emphasize discussion and student participation. You are expected to not only complete the readings for each class, but to come to class well prepared to engage in discussion.
AI is acceptable for use as a research tool properly referenced.
Attendance at all lectures and field studies is mandatory.
A Word on Laptops in the Classroom
The default policy for this class is NO laptops in the classroom. Both academic research and personal experience have shown laptops to be an enormous source of distraction and an impediment to engaged discussion and learning. In order to help manage the limitations of hand-written notes, I'll share pdf versions of slides after course sessions. Thank you for your understanding.
Check your email and DIS Canvas regularly: outlines, exam information, and reading updates are distributed there.
Evaluation
Attendance and active engagement provide the foundational portion of your grade. Pre-class preparation is checked via regular Canvas quizzes. The mid-term simulation exercise is the largest single assessment in the course. The final team project develops across the entire semester.
To be eligible for a passing grade you must complete all assigned work.
Grading
|
Assignment |
Percent |
|
Attendance / Active Engagement |
20% |
|
Pre-Class Prep (Quizzes) |
35% |
|
Mid-term Simulation (Session 13) |
30% |
|
Final Team Project |
15% |
Policy on late work:
Late work will be accepted, but your grade for the work will be reduced by half a point for each day that it is late.
Academic Regulations
Please make sure to read the Academic Regulations on the DIS website. There you will find regulations on:
Arctic Security: Peoples, Security and Ecosystem Change | DIS Stockholm | Fall 2026
Each numbered class session includes a brief description and required readings with working hyperlinks. The blue URL beneath each citation opens the reading. Class sessions meet 11:40am-1pm on Mondays and Thursdays; a Saturday kayaking "expedition"** and two Wednesday Field Studies fall outside the regular class schedule. **(optional, requires ability to swim)
|
Date |
Details |
Due |
|
Wed Aug 19, 2026 |
✎ Prep for Session 1: Course intro + January 2026 Greenland episode briefing |
due by 8pm |
|
Thu Aug 20, 2026 |
📅 1) The Arctic in the News: Trump-Greenland and the International Response We open with the January 2026 Davos episode and pivot to the responses, including Nato Allies and the Inuit Circumpolar Council's statement, which reframes the same headline as a question of Indigenous self-determination. Preview of four-theme structure and SES framework, and of future interest-area selection for later group work. Readings: • Dodds, K. & Nuttall, M. (2019). The Arctic: What Everyone Needs to Know. Oxford UP. Ch. 1 (~20 pp). → https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-arctic-9780190649814 • Inuit Circumpolar Council (2025, 27 Jan). 'A Peaceful Arctic Through Mutually Respectful Cooperation.' Statement by Sara Olsvig. • Al Jazeera (2026, 22 Jan). 'Trump's Greenland pact will demand allies boost Arctic security.' |
11:40am to 1pm |
|
Fri Aug 21, 2026 |
🚀 Session 2 Prep: Human Security Frames in the Arctic |
due by 11:30pm |
|
Mon Aug 24, 2026 |
📅 2) Human Security in the Arctic: Livelihoods, Food, Culture, Climate From headline-grabbing security to the slower, deeper kind: lives that depend on sea ice, caribou migration, fish runs, knowable climate and weather. Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities both feature. We introduces a key question: security of what, for whom, from what? Readings: • Greaves, W. (2016). 'Arctic (in)security and Indigenous peoples: Comparing Inuit in Canada and Sámi in Norway.' Security Dialogue 47(6), 461-480 (~20 pp). → https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0967010616665957 • Larsen & Fondahl (eds.) (2014). Arctic Human Development Report II. Ch. 1 'Major Findings' (~15 pp). → https://norden.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:788965/FULLTEXT03.pdf • Hossain, K. & Petrétei, A. (eds.) (2017). Human and Societal Security in the Circumpolar Arctic. Brill. Introduction (~20 pp). |
11:40am to 1pm |
|
Mon Aug 24, 2026 |
✎ Quiz: Session 2 Reflection |
due by 11:59pm |
|
Wed Aug 26, 2026 |
🚀 Session 3 Prep: Introducing the SES Framework |
due by 8pm |
|
Thu Aug 27, 2026 |
📅 3) Social-Ecological Systems: The Arctic Resilience Report Framework The conceptual anchor of the course. SES thinking — feedbacks, slow/fast variables, regime shifts, adaptive capacity. We diagram the Greenlandic seal hunting case; small groups do the same with a different Arctic case. Pre-paddle briefing distributed. Readings: • Carson, M. & Sommerkorn, M. (2016). 'An Arctic Resilience Assessment.' Ch. 1 of Arctic Resilience Report, pp. 2-26 (~22 pp). → https://oaarchive.arctic-council.org/items/894931be-6903-4e89-a333-512851b64bc3 • Wenzel, G.W. (2009). 'Canadian Inuit subsistence and ecological instability.' Polar Research 28(1), 89-99 (~10 pp). → https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/2266 • Arctic Resilience Report (2016). Ch. 3 excerpts on regime shifts (~12 pp). → https://oaarchive.arctic-council.org/items/894931be-6903-4e89-a333-512851b64bc3 |
11:40am to 1pm |
|
Fri Aug 28, 2026 |
🚀 Session 4 Prep + Quiz 1 (Arc 1) |
due by 11:30pm |
|
Sat Aug 29 |
Sea kayaking exercise/tour. Stockholm City, Långholmen 1:00pm-5:00pm (tent). Detailed instructions to follow. |
|
|
Mon Aug 31, 2026 |
📅 4) SES, Security, and the Course Design — Group work interest areas selected Integrating security with SES adds explicit attention to power, conflict, and who decides. Here we'll review three different kinds of security lenses (ecological, human, traditional/state). Interest-area declarations finalized; teams formed. Readings: • Heininen, L. (2020). 'Arctic strategies revisited.' Routledge Handbook of Arctic Security (~14 pp). • Nilsson, A.E. & Larsen, J.N. (2020). 'Making regional sense of global SDG indicators for the Arctic.' Sustainability 12(3), 1027 (~14 pp). → https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/3/1027 • Dalby, S. (2020). Anthropocene Geopolitics. University of Ottawa Press. Ch. 1 (~12 pp). |
11:40am to 1pm |
|
Mon Aug 31, 2026 |
✎ SES Review, kayaking/Greenland debrief + Interest-area / team declaration |
due by 11:59pm |
|
Fri Sep 11, 2026 |
🚀 Session 5 Prep |
due by 11:30pm |
|
Mon Sep 14, 2026 |
📅 5) The Arctic Physical System: Ocean, Ice, Atmosphere, Land Why the Arctic warms nearly four times faster than the globe. Albedo feedback, ocean heat transport, atmospheric circulation. The Arctic as a coupled system, not a place. Readings: • Rantanen, M. et al. (2022). 'The Arctic has warmed nearly four times faster than the globe since 1979.' Communications Earth & Environment 3:168 (~10 pp). → https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-022-00498-3 • AMAP (2021). Arctic Climate Change Update 2021: Summary for Policy-makers (~20 pp). • Francis, J.A. & Vavrus, S.J. (2015). 'Evidence for a wavier jet stream in response to rapid Arctic warming.' Environmental Research Letters 10(1) (~12 pp). → https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/10/1/014005 |
11:40am to 1pm |
|
Wed Sep 16, 2026 |
✎ Session 6 Prep: "Tipping Points" and Sea Ice Science |
due by 11:30pm |
|
Thu Sep 17, 2026 |
📅 6) Sea Ice: Science, Trajectories, and Tipping Point Thresholds Sea ice trajectories, tipping-points, feedbacks, and how sea ice retreat amplifies regional warming; Sea ice as both ecological and human infrastructure. Readings: • Notz, D. & Stroeve, J. (2016). 'Observed Arctic sea-ice loss directly follows anthropogenic CO2 emission.' Science 354 (~6 pp). → https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aag2345 • Stroeve, J. & Notz, D. (2018). 'Changing state of Arctic sea ice across all seasons.' Environmental Research Letters 13(10), 103001 (~20 pp). → https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/aade56 • Wadhams, P. (2017). A Farewell to Ice. Selected chapters (~15 pp). → https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/305344/a-farewell-to-ice-by-wadhams-peter/ |
11:40am to 1pm |
|
Fri Sep 18, 2026 |
🚀 Session 7 Prep: Indigenous Knowledge and Conventional Science |
due by 11:30pm |
|
Mon Sep 21, 2026 |
📅 7) Indigenous Knowledge and Conventional Science: Bridging divergent models Same Arctic, different epistemologies. Where Indigenous knowledge and Western science converge, where they translate poorly, and where claims of 'integration' mask appropriation. Readings: • Berkes, F. (2017). Sacred Ecology (4th ed.). Routledge. Ch. 1 and Ch. 9 (~18 pp). → https://www.routledge.com/Sacred-Ecology/Berkes/p/book/9781138071490 • Tengö, M. et al. (2017). 'Weaving knowledge systems in IPBES, CBD and beyond.' Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability 26-27 (~9 pp). → https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877343517300040 • Inuit Circumpolar Council (2022). Ethical and Equitable Engagement Synthesis Report (~12 pp). → https://www.inuitcircumpolar.com/project/ethical-and-equitable-engagement-synthesis-report/ |
11:40am to 1pm |
|
Wed Sep 23, 2026 |
🚀 Session 8 Prep: Permafrost, Freshwater, Terrestrial Systems |
due by 8pm |
|
Thu Sep 24, 2026 |
📅 8) Permafrost, Freshwater, and Terrestrial Systems Permafrost as carbon store and infrastructure substrate. Gradual vs abrupt tipping, methane pathways, river discharge. Case work: Yamal infrastructure failures, Norilsk diesel spill (2020), Alaskan village relocations. Readings: • Schuur, E.A.G. et al. (2022). 'Permafrost and climate change: Carbon cycle feedbacks.' Annual Review of Environment and Resources 47, 343-371 (~28 pp; first 10 essential). → https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/10.1146/annurev-environ-012220-011847 • Box, J.E. et al. (2019). 'Key indicators of Arctic climate change: 1971-2017.' Environmental Research Letters 14(4) (~18 pp). → https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/aafc1b |
11:40am to 1pm |
|
Fri Sep 25, 2026 |
🚀 Session 9 Prep: Tipping Points and Ecological Security |
due by 11:30pm |
|
Mon Sep 28, 2026 |
📅 9) Tipping Points, Cascades, and Ecological Security From physical tipping points to cascading SES effects. AMOC, sea ice, permafrost, ice sheets — the Arctic's role in global climate stability. 'Ecological security' as a distinct frame. Readings: • Armstrong McKay, D.I. et al. (2022). 'Exceeding 1.5°C global warming could trigger multiple climate tipping points.' Science 377 (~10 pp). → https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abn7950 • Lenton, T.M. et al. (eds.) (2023). The Global Tipping Points Report. Executive summary (~10 pp). → https://global-tipping-points.org/ • McDonald, M. (2018). 'Climate change and security: Towards ecological security?' International Theory 10(2), 153-180 (~14 pp). |
11:40am to 1pm |
|
Wed Sep 30, 2026 |
🚀 Session 10 Prep + Quiz 2 (Arc 2) |
due by 8pm |
|
Thu Oct 1, 2026 |
📅 10) Wildlife, Fisheries, and Ecosystems on the Move Fish stocks shifting northward and the governance problems this creates. Caribou and reindeer dynamics, bird migrations. 30-min fisheries-reallocation mini-simulation warms up midterm mechanics. Readings: • Pinsky, M.L. et al. (2018). 'Preparing ocean governance for species on the move.' Science 360, 1189-1191 (~3 pp). → https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aat2360 • Spijkers, J. & Boonstra, W.J. (2017). 'Environmental change and social conflict: the northeast Atlantic mackerel dispute.' Regional Environmental Change 17 (~17 pp). → https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10113-017-1150-4 • Fauchald, P. et al. (2017). 'Arctic greening promotes declines in caribou and reindeer.' Global Change Biology 23(4) (~17 pp). |
11:40am to 1pm |
|
Thu Oct 1, 2026 |
✎ Quiz 2 (Theme 2) + Team progress memo 1 |
due by 11:59pm |
|
Sun Oct 11, 2026 |
🚀 Session 11 Prep: A Geography of Arctic Peoples |
due by 11:59pm |
|
Mon Oct 12, 2026 |
📅 11) A Geography of Arctic Peoples: Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Communities Sámi, Inuit, Aleut, Yupik, Athabaskan, Chukchi, Nenets, Khanty. Non-Indigenous Arctic residents in fishing, mining, military, urban contexts. Self-government structures. Readings: • Larsen & Fondahl (2014). Arctic Human Development Report II. Ch. on peoples and demographics (~16 pp). → https://norden.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:788965/FULLTEXT03.pdf • Heininen, L. & Exner-Pirot, H. (eds.). Arctic Yearbook 2024. Selected pieces on Indigenous governance (~15 pp). • Loukacheva, N. (2007). The Arctic Promise: Legal and Political Autonomy of Greenland and Nunavut. Introduction (~12 pp). → https://utorontopress.com/9780802093653/the-arctic-promise/ |
11:40am to 1pm |
|
Tue Oct 13, 2026 |
✎ Session 12 Prep: Sámi Sovereignty and the Nordic States |
due by 11:30pm |
|
Thu Oct 15, 2026 |
📅 12) Sámi Sovereignty, Truth Commissions, and the Nordic States Sámi political history; reindeer herding as livelihood and land claim. Truth Commission processes. Comparative Sámi parliaments. Cumulative pressures of wind, mining, forestry, hydropower. Possible guest: Sámi representative or Rasmus Klöcker Larsen (SEI). Readings: • Lawrence, R. & Larsen, R.K. (2017). 'The politics of planning: assessing the impacts of mining on Sámi lands.' Third World Quarterly 38(5) (~17 pp). → https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01436597.2016.1257909 • Josefsen, Mörkenstam & Saglie (2015). 'Different institutions within similar states: The Norwegian and Swedish Sámediggis.' Ethnopolitics 14(1) (~20 pp). → https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17449057.2014.926611 • Sámi Council statement on Sweden's Truth Commission (browse). |
11:40am to 1pm |
|
Fri Oct 16, 2026 |
🚀 Midterm Prep: Role-briefing review for Greenland Mineral Decision |
due by 11:30pm |
|
Mon Oct 19, 2026 |
📅 13) MIDTERM Simulation: Greenland's Mineral Decision Full 75-min negotiation. Post-Davos 2026, Naalakkersuisut finalizes a decision on large-scale rare earth and uranium mining in southern Greenland. 11 roles, three rounds. Individual reflection (1500 words) due 72 hrs post. Readings: • Pre-distributed role briefing packets (~3 pp each, distributed Session 12) • Bjørst, L.R. (2017). 'Uranium — the road to economic self-sustainability for Greenland?' Arctic Anthropology 54(1) (~11 pp). → https://muse.jhu.edu/article/669817 • Sejersen, F. (2020). 'Brokers of hope.' Polar Record 56, e22 (~10 pp). |
11:40am to 1pm |
|
Wed Oct 21, 2026 |
🚀 Session 14 Prep: Inuit Arctic Politics |
due by 8pm |
|
Thu Oct 22, 2026 |
📅 14) Inuit Arctic: Greenland, Nunavut, and the Geopolitical Shock (IEW week — class meets) Simulation debrief. ICC as transnational political body; Greenland's path toward independence; Nunavut as a different model. Readings: • Shadian, J. (2014). The Politics of Arctic Sovereignty. Routledge. Introduction and Ch. 1 (~22 pp). • Strandsbjerg, J. (2014). 'Making sense of contemporary Greenland.' In Polar Geopolitics? Edward Elgar (~14 pp). → https://www.elgaronline.com/edcollchap/edcoll/9781781009413/9781781009413.00018.xml • KTUU Alaska (2026, 24 Jan). "'Inuit stand united': Alaska's connection to Greenland" — Olsvig interview. → https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/01/24/inuit-stand-united-alaskas-connection-greenland/ |
11:40am to 1pm |
|
Thu Oct 22, 2026 |
✎ Midterm individual reflection due (approx. 1500 words) |
due 72 hrs post, 11:59pm |
|
Fri Oct 23, 2026 |
🚀 Session 15 Prep: Just Transition, Green Colonialism, FPIC |
due by 11:30pm |
|
Mon Oct 26, 2026 |
📅 15) Just Transition or Green Colonialism? Critical Minerals and Indigenous Rights Climate action requires mineral extraction; extraction lands disproportionately on Indigenous territories. Crisis epistemology (Whyte) and FPIC. Case workshop on Nussir, Gállok, Sakatti. Readings: • Whyte, K. (2020). 'Against crisis epistemology.' Routledge Handbook of Critical Indigenous Studies (~13 pp). → https://kylewhyte.cal.msu.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2018/07/Against-Crisis-Epistemology.pdf • Del Duca, L., Abril, A., Kløcker Larsen, R., Macura, B., Haddaway, N.R. & Boström, M. (2025). 'Knowledge gaps about mining impacts on Sámi lands.' Journal of Northern Studies 17(1), 30-42 (~12 pp). → https://journals.ub.umu.se/index.php/jns/article/view/1232 |
11:40am to 1pm |
|
Wed Oct 28, 2026 |
🚀 Session 16 Prep + Quiz 3 (Arc 3) |
due by 8pm |
|
Thu Oct 29, 2026 |
📅 16) Co-production of Knowledge: Indigenous and Conventional Science Together Co-production as method: the ARR approach, IPCC and ICC work, contested cases. Where the two complement, where they translate poorly, where 'integration' masks appropriation. Readings: • Arctic Resilience Report (2016). Ch. 5 'Shared decision-making' excerpts (~12 pp). → https://oaarchive.arctic-council.org/items/894931be-6903-4e89-a333-512851b64bc3 • Latulippe, N. & Klenk, N. (2020). 'Making room and moving over.' Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability 42 (~8 pp). → https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877343519301241 • ICC Alaska (2015). Alaskan Inuit Food Security Conceptual Framework (~14 pp). |
11:40am to 1pm |
|
Thu Oct 29, 2026 |
✎ Quiz 3 (Theme 3) |
due by 11:59pm |
|
Sun Nov 8, 2026 |
🚀 Session 17 Prep: Cooperation in the Arctic: The Arctic Council |
due by 11:59pm |
|
Mon Nov 9, 2026 |
📅 17) The Arctic Council: Design, Function, and Fragility Origins (Rovaniemi Process, AEPS 1991, Ottawa Declaration 1996), structure, working groups, Permanent Participants. The deliberate exclusion of security from the mandate. Readings: • Young, O.R. (2016). 'The Arctic Council at twenty.' UC Irvine Law Review 6(1), 99-119 (~20 pp). → https://scholarship.law.uci.edu/ucilr/vol6/iss1/9/ • Koivurova, T. (2010). 'Limits and possibilities of the Arctic Council.' Polar Record 46(2) (~10 pp). • Arctic Council Secretariat. Current overview documents (browse). |
11:40am to 1pm |
|
Wed Nov 11, 2026 |
🚀 Session 18 Prep: The Arctic Council Since 2022 |
due by 8pm |
|
Thu Nov 12, 2026 |
📅 18) The Arctic Council Since 2022: Rupture and Partial Recovery March 2022 pause; 'Arctic 7' workarounds; 2024 virtual working group restart; Russia's April 2026 conditional offer; Kingdom of Denmark chairship (2025-2027). Russian Arctic threaded through. Readings: • Selected recent Belfer / Arctic Institute / CSIS analyses (instructor curates 1-2 pieces, ~15 pp). → https://www.thearcticinstitute.org/ • Staalesen, A. — Barents Observer pieces on Russian Arctic developments (~12 pp). → https://thebarentsobserver.com/en • DDRN (2025). 'Whose Arctic? Indigenous Agency in Regional Policy Formation.' |
11:40am to 1pm |
|
Thu Nov 12, 2026 |
✎ Team progress memo 2 |
due by 11:59pm |
|
Fri Nov 13, 2026 |
🚀 Session 19 Prep: UNCLOS and Maritime Governance |
due by 11:30pm |
|
Mon Nov 16, 2026 |
📅 19) UNCLOS, Seabed Claims, and Maritime Governance UNCLOS as the operative legal framework. Continental shelf claims; US non-ratification. Polar Code, SAR agreement, CAOFA (2021). Northern Sea Route vs Northwest Passage. Readings: • Byers, M. (2013). International Law and the Arctic. Cambridge UP. Introduction and Ch. 1 (~22 pp). → https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/international-law-and-the-arctic/ • Humpert, M. — recent High North News coverage of the Northern Sea Route (~8 pp). → https://www.highnorthnews.com/ • Bognar, D. (2020). 'Reframing the Arctic Ocean as common heritage of humankind?' Polar Journal 10(2) (~20 pp). → https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/2154896X.2020.1810960 |
11:40am to 1pm |
|
Tue Nov 17, 2026 |
✎ Session 20 Prep: Hard Security and NATO |
due by 11:30pm |
|
Thu Nov 19, 2026 |
📅 20) Hard Security: Militarization, NATO, and the Post-Davos 2026 Arctic Sweden/Finland in NATO. Russian Arctic posture; Kola peninsula. Greenland Defense Agreement renegotiation; Golden Dome. China as 'near-Arctic' actor. Readings: • Wall, C. & Wegge, N. (2023). The Arctic in a strategic context: NATO's role in a contested region (~16 pp). → https://www.thearcticinstitute.org/ • Boulègue, M. — recent Chatham House analysis of Russian military posture in the Arctic (~12 pp). → https://www.chathamhouse.org/about-us/our-people/mathieu-boulegue • Lanteigne, M. — recent Arctic Institute commentary on China and Arctic security (~10 pp). |
11:40am to 1pm |
|
Fri Nov 20, 2026 |
🚀 Session 21 Prep: Arctic Scenarios |
due by 11:30pm |
|
Mon Nov 23, 2026 |
📅 21) Scenarios for the 2030s Arctic — Final Project Work Session Structured scenario exercise with final-project teams. Four-scenario framework (cooperative / competitive / fragmented / cascading-crisis). Teams map their interest area onto each scenario. Readings: • Nilsson, A.E. et al. (2017). 'Towards extended shared socioeconomic pathways.' Global Environmental Change 45 (~9 pp). → https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959378017301577 • Kosow, H. & Gaßner, R. (2008). Methods of future and scenario analysis. DIE. Selected (~12 pp). → https://www.idos-research.de/uploads/media/Studies_39.2008.pdf • Stephen, K. (2018). 'Societal impacts of a rapidly changing Arctic.' Current Climate Change Reports 4 (~15 pp). → https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40641-018-0106-1 |
11:40am to 1pm |
|
Tue Nov 24, 2026 |
🚀 Session 22 Prep: Peer Feedback Rubric Review |
due by 11:30pm |
|
Nov 25-29, 2026 |
■ Thanksgiving Break — no class |
|
|
Mon Nov 30, 2026 |
📅 22) Team Final Project Presentations (Part 1) Half the teams present (10 min + 5 min Q&A each). Structured peer feedback using rubric distributed in advance. Readings: • Peer feedback rubric (distributed Session 21) |
11:40am to 1pm |
|
Tue Dec 1, 2026 |
✎ Peer feedback forms (Session 22 presentations) |
due by 11:59pm |
|
Wed Dec 2, 2026 |
🚀 Session 23 Prep: Final Synthesis |
due by 8pm |
|
Thu Dec 3, 2026 |
📅 23) Team Final Project Presentations (Part 2) and Course Synthesis Remaining teams present. Closing synthesis on what the SES + security braid revealed. Course evaluation. Readings: • No new readings — synthesis session |
11:40am to 1pm |
|
Sat Dec 5, 2026 |
✎ Final team product + Individual reflection on team contribution |
due by 11:59pm |
DIS - Study Abroad in Scandinavia - www.DISabroad.org
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
|---|---|---|