Geopolitics of a Changing Arctic. How do Russia, China and the United States Conceptualise the Changing Arctic?

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• 1. Introduction
• 2. Geopolitics
• 2.1 From classical to critical Geopolitics
• 2.2 Categories of Geopolitics
• 2.2.1 Space
• 2.2.2 Identity
• 2.2.3 Othering
• 2.3 Geopolitics in the Arctic
• 3. Russia, China and the United States- A Brief Overview
• 4. Conceptualizing the changing Arctic
• 4.1 Climate Change in the Arctic
• 4.2 The impact of the changing Arctic on Space
• 4.3 The impact of the changing Arctic on Arctic Identity
• 4.4 The impact of the changing Arctic on Othering
• 5. Method
• 5.1 The construction of Qualitative Content Analysis
• 6. Discussion
• 6.1 The added category- Conceptualisation of the Arctic as a Space of cooperation
• 6.2 China's conceptualisation of the changing Arctic
• 6.3 Russia's conceptualisation of the changing Arctic
• 6.4 The United States' conceptualisation of the changing Arctic
• 6.5 The way forward?

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This research aims to understand how Russia, China, and the United States conceptualize the changing Arctic, focusing on the impact of climate change and increased accessibility of resources. It utilizes a critical geopolitical perspective, examining how these states narrate and reshape the Arctic to fit their worldviews.

• The impact of climate change on Arctic geopolitics.
• How Russia, China, and the United States perceive the Arctic as a geographical space.
• The role of national identity in shaping Arctic policy.
• The perception of "other" actors in the Arctic region.
• Analysis of national Arctic strategies.

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

Chapter 1: Introduction introduces the research question and the context of the changing Arctic, highlighting the shift from a cooperative to a potentially more competitive environment. It establishes a critical geopolitical framework for the analysis.

Chapter 2: Geopolitics provides a concise overview of the evolution of geopolitical thought, contrasting classical and critical geopolitical approaches. It introduces the key concepts of Space, Identity, and Othering as discursively constructed categories.

Chapter 3: Russia, China, and the United States - A Brief Overview offers a short overview of the three states' involvement in the Arctic, noting their varying levels of interest and the significance of their recently published Arctic strategies.

Chapter 4: Conceptualizing the changing Arctic explores the consequences of climate change and resource accessibility on the conceptualization of Space, Identity, and Othering in the Arctic. This chapter draws upon existing literature to provide a foundation for the analysis.

Chapter 5: Method details the theoretical approach and methodology employed, focusing on qualitative content analysis.

Chapter 6: Discussion (partially): This chapter begins to analyze the conceptualizations of the Arctic by China, Russia, and the United States, focusing on their perceptions of the Arctic as a space for cooperation and competition. The analysis of each country's perspective will be further detailed within this chapter.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

Arctic geopolitics, climate change, critical geopolitics, Space, Identity, Othering, Russia, China, United States, national Arctic strategies, qualitative content analysis.