Psychopathy causes a great burden for both the patient, his or her caregivers and for the rest of society. Secondary psychopathy seems to be environment-related and secondary psychopaths may...Show morePsychopathy causes a great burden for both the patient, his or her caregivers and for the rest of society. Secondary psychopathy seems to be environment-related and secondary psychopaths may therefore benefit from treatment. An important topic of psychopathy research is to examine what causes the development of secondary psychopathy in children. The prevalence of personality disorders is higher in ethnic minority groups within Western Europe. A possible explanation for the increased risk of personality disorders in ethnic minority groups is lower self-esteem, which can be caused by the experience of being isolated from a group. This study focused on the relationship between implicit and explicit self-esteem and secondary psychopathic traits in adolescents between 12 and 17 years and the effect of ethnicity on this relationship. Questionnaires were used to measure psychopathic traits and explicit self-esteem, respectively by the Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Implicit self-esteem was determined with the aid of a computer task, the Implicit Association Task Self-Esteem, in which the reaction time was measured. As predicted, low self-esteem in Moroccan youth was correlated with higher levels of psychopathic traits and vice versa, which might be explained by the social-defeat model. On the contrary, this relationship wasn’t found for native Dutch adolescents. There seems to be no effect of social defeat for native Dutch adolescents. The ethnic differences in the relationship between self-esteem and psychopathic traits could not be explained by differences in socio-economic background. These results demonstrate that self-esteem is important in predicting secondary psychopathic traits in Moroccan youth. The social-defeat model gives an explanation for this relationship. In the future preventive programs should focus on increasing self-esteem, especially among ethnic minority groups, to reduce the chance of developing secondary psychopathic traits and psychopathy.Show less
In dit onderzoek is gekeken naar verschillen in het niveau van reflectief functioneren (RF) en problemen in de emotieregulatie tussen (aanstaande) moeders van 17 tot en met 25 jaar uit een laag- en...Show moreIn dit onderzoek is gekeken naar verschillen in het niveau van reflectief functioneren (RF) en problemen in de emotieregulatie tussen (aanstaande) moeders van 17 tot en met 25 jaar uit een laag- en een hoog-risicogroep en naar de mate waarin problemen in de ER verklaard kunnen worden door het niveau van RF. Daarnaast is gekeken naar verschillen in de mentale ontwikkeling tussen kinderen van 6 maanden oud uit een laag- en hoog-risicogroep en naar de mate waarin de mentale ontwikkeling voorspeld kan worden op basis van RF en ER bij de moeder. Aan het onderzoek hebben 125 moeders deelgenomen (laag-risicogroep: 72, hoog-risicogroep: 53), waarvan gegevens van 56 moeders en kinderen zijn meegenomen in het onderzoek naar de mentale ontwikkeling (laag-risicogroep: 32, hoog-risicogroep: 24). Gegevens zijn verkregen door middel van het Pregnancy Interview, de Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale en door de mentale schaal van de Bayley Scales of Infant Development. Uit dit onderzoek komt naar voren dat moeders uit de hoog-risicogroep een significant lager niveau van RF hebben, F (1, 123) = 39.86, p < .001, en significant meer problemen in de ER hebben, F (1, 123) = 10.24, p = .002, dan moeders uit de laag-risicogroep. Problemen in de ER worden voor een klein deel verklaard door het niveau van RF, F (1, 123) = 4.98, p = .027, maar voor een groter deel door de risicogroep, F (1, 123) = 15.59, p < .001. Kinderen uit de risicogroepen verschillen niet significant van elkaar in hun mentale ontwikkeling. Een significant effect voor de invloed van RF en ER bij de moeder op de mentale ontwikkeling van het kind is niet gevonden. Door de gevonden relatie tussen de risicogroep, RF en ER kunnen interventies in de praktijk effectiever ingezet worden. Meer onderzoek naar het effect op de mentale ontwikkeling van het kind is nodig om meer duidelijkheid over deze relatie te krijgen.Show less
Het doel van dit onderzoek is om te onderzoeken of er een verschil is tussen mannen en vrouwen in middelengebruik (tabak, alcohol, softdrugs en harddrugs) en hun motieven. De steekproef betrof n =...Show moreHet doel van dit onderzoek is om te onderzoeken of er een verschil is tussen mannen en vrouwen in middelengebruik (tabak, alcohol, softdrugs en harddrugs) en hun motieven. De steekproef betrof n = 514 respondenten in de leeftijd van 14-30 jaar met een gemiddelde leeftijd van 21.80 jaar, waarbij n = 199 mannen en n = 315 vrouwen. In het onderzoek is gebruik gemaakt van een algemene vragenlijst over middelengebruik, de Vragenlijst Effecten Middelengebruik en de BISBAS. Uit de resultaten van ANOVA’s blijkt dat mannen meer tabak roken (F(1,512) = 1,187, p = 0.01), alcohol drinken (F(1,512) = 0.664, p < 0.001), softdrugs (F(1,512) = 67.40, p < 0.001) en harddrugs (F(1,512) = 29.88, p < 0.001) gebruiken dan vrouwen. Tevens blijkt uit MANOVA’s dat er verschillen zijn in motieven. Mannen gebruiken middelen meer om te ontspannen dan vrouwen (F(2,513) = 12.55, p < 0.001) en mannen zijn meer sensatiezoekend (F(2,513) = 10.83, p < 0.001) en gedreven (F(2,513) = 5.321, p = 0.02). Vrouwen daarentegen zijn strafgevoeliger (F(1,512) = 82.33, p < 0.001). Uit ANCOVA blijkt dat het verschil tussen hoeveel mannen en vrouwen tabak roken verklaard wordt door onderliggende motieven Risk and Agression, Self Perception, BAS Drive, BAS Fun Seeking, BAS Reward Responsiveness en BIS (F(1,505) = 0.43, p = 0.47). Dit betekent dat het verschil in tabak verklaard wordt door onderliggende motieven, maar voor alcohol, softdrugs en harddrugs wordt het verschil niet verklaard door motieven. Deze bevindingen over het verschil in motivatie en middelengebruik door mannen en vrouwen kunnen van belang zijn bij het voorkomen van overmatig middelengebruik en het behandelen ervan.Show less
The Bachelor Thesis depicts the theory of Securitization applied to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in South Africa. It looks towards the societal effects of securitizing certain high risk groups in the...Show moreThe Bachelor Thesis depicts the theory of Securitization applied to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in South Africa. It looks towards the societal effects of securitizing certain high risk groups in the epidemic, such as sex workers and men who have sex with men. The societal effects are mostly the discrimination and stigmatization of these groups.Show less
Objective This study is a pilot study to investigate the relationship between the teacher training programme of Curious Minds and science learning in pupils aged nine to twelve years. By means of a...Show moreObjective This study is a pilot study to investigate the relationship between the teacher training programme of Curious Minds and science learning in pupils aged nine to twelve years. By means of a multiple mediation model it was explored whether social cognition and executive functions mediate the relation of the teacher training programme on science learning. Gain scores in mathematical performance were used to explain science learning. Methods In this quasi-experimental research sixty-nine pupils were assigned to either the teacher training programme condition (n = 29) or the control group condition (n = 40). A t-test for independent samples was used to explore the unmediated effect of the teacher training programme on mathematical performances. For the mediated effect a bootstrap resampling method (n = 5000) as described by Preacher and Hayes (2004) and Hayes (2009) was used. Mediating variables are social cognition and the executive functions inhibition, cognitive flexibility and working memory. These variables were tested in thirty-eight pupils, by means of the Dutch Social Cognitive Abilities Test (SCVT; Sociaal Cognitieve Vaardigheden Test) and a computerized test battery, which is part of the Amsterdam‟s Neuropsychological Tasks (ANT; Amsterdamse Neuropsychologische Taken) respectively. Results The results did not support the expectations. These data supported the view that the teacher training programme by Curious Minds significantly decreased mathematical performances. The teacher training programme had a positive effect on social cognition skills, though, no credible evidence indicated mediation. Discussion The examinations in this study were well able to make a contribution to knowledge in the neurological and educational climate. This study provided more knowledge in contribution of a training to children‟s executive functions and social cognition, and hence in mathematical learning. This knowledge must be reflected in education systems, and training must be re-examined. It is advisable for future research to examine the effect of the teacher training programme on practical and explorative science aspects, where Curious Mind initially aims for.Show less
Master thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (MSc)
closed access
The rise of camera phones, particularly smartphones, has changed personal photography and online image sharing practices. This thesis offers an anthropological view on these changes and researches...Show moreThe rise of camera phones, particularly smartphones, has changed personal photography and online image sharing practices. This thesis offers an anthropological view on these changes and researches cultural differences and similarities in user behavior.Show less
Reading comprehension is a complex skill that has been widely studied. Nevertheless, insights on the process of emotional inferences in children have remained limited. Therefore, the first aim of...Show moreReading comprehension is a complex skill that has been widely studied. Nevertheless, insights on the process of emotional inferences in children have remained limited. Therefore, the first aim of this study is to investigate reading time differences in emotion-eliciting and control narratives read by children. Furthermore, in previous studies perspective taking, working memory and visuospatial ability have been suggested to influence reading processes. This leads to a second aim: examine the influence of working memory, visuospatial abilities and perspective taking on reading times of emotion-eliciting and control narratives read by children. Participants were 84 students in grade 5 in the age group 10 - 12. Each participant read 10 emotion-eliciting and 10 control short narratives in random order. Narratives were characterized by either an emotion-eliciting or a control target sentence. Furthermore, measures of working memory, visuospatial abilities, perspective taking and reading fluency were administered. Results revealed RT differences between kinds of sentences (target or closure) and working memory was found to influence the RT of children. These results indicate a difference in the ability to make emotional inference between children and adults.Show less
This thesis focused on investigating the relationship between perceived social support by students and hidden school drop-out. The main research question was whether perceived social support by...Show moreThis thesis focused on investigating the relationship between perceived social support by students and hidden school drop-out. The main research question was whether perceived social support by students predicts hidden drop-out and if the relationship between perceived social support by students and hidden drop-out is moderated by students’ ethnicity. Differences in the perceptions of Dutch and immigrant students about the availability of social support (instructional or emotional) from various agents (teacher/classmate/parent) were also investigated using the SPASSQ questionnaire. Participants were 356 Dutch and 68 immigrant students of which 58% were male and 42% female aged between 14 and 16 years old (M = 14.21, SD = 0.88) from junior vocational high schools in the Netherland. Perceived emotional support from parents was a predictor of hidden drop-out for Dutch students, however for immigrant students perceived emotional support from teachers was a predictor of hidden drop-out. Students’ ethnicity is a moderator when predicting hidden drop-out with perceived emotional support from teachers and perceived instructional support from parents. No significant differences were found between the perceptions of Dutch and immigrant students about perceived social support from all agents, however different types of perceived social support are predictors of hidden drop-out for Dutch and for immigrant students.Show less
Baby’s worden al blootgesteld aan stress. Het stresssysteem van een kind, dat zich voor de geboorte en tijdens de eerste levensjaren ontwikkeld, kan door een teveel aan stress zich niet adequaat...Show moreBaby’s worden al blootgesteld aan stress. Het stresssysteem van een kind, dat zich voor de geboorte en tijdens de eerste levensjaren ontwikkeld, kan door een teveel aan stress zich niet adequaat ontwikkelen. Dit kan schadelijke gevolgen hebben op zowel psychisch als lichamelijk gebied. Dit onderzoek is uitgevoerd om de invloed en de combinatie van risicovolle omstandigheden en de mate van sensitiviteit van moeder op de ontwikkeling van het stresssysteem van het kind vast te stellen. Het onderzoek is uitgevoerd onder 152 baby’s van circa zes maanden oud. De fysiologische reactiviteit van deze kinderen, waaronder de PEP, hartslag, RSA en huidgeleiding, is gemeten gedurende de Still Face Procedure. Er is onderscheid gemaakt in de stressrespons en de stressregulatie van het kind. De mate van sensitiviteit van moeder werd ook gemeten tijdens deze procedure. Met een vragenlijst zijn de risicovolle omstandigheden van het gezin in kaart gebracht. De resultaten tonen aan dat moeders met risicovolle omstandigheden minder sensitief zijn dan moeders zonder risicovolle omstandigheden. Tevens kwam naar voren dat kinderen waarbij sprake is van risicovolle omstandigheden meer baat hebben bij een sensitieve moeder dan kinderen zonder risicovolle omstandigheden. Deze kinderen weten namelijk beter hun PEP reactiviteit na een stressvolle situatie te reguleren dan kinderen met minder sensitieve moeders. Dit verschil werd niet gezien bij kinderen zonder risicovolle omstandigheden. Kortom het is van belang dat ouders waarbij sprake is van risicovolle omstandigheden zo vroeg mogelijk ondersteuning krijgen bij het opvoeden van hun kind, zodat ze sensitiever kunnen reageren. Behalve bij de PEP zijn er verder geen significante resultaten gevonden. Dit kan er op duiden dat het stresssysteem van een kind van een half jaar oud nog niet volledig is ontwikkeld, waardoor het nog niet adequaat met stress kan omgaan. Meer onderzoek is nodig om duidelijk vast te stellen hoe de ontwikkeling van het stresssysteem verloopt en welke invloeden daarbij een rol spelen.Show less
Abstract A world-wide problem has been found with children in the fourth grade learning from expository text. Little is known about the effects of different text types and individual differences on...Show moreAbstract A world-wide problem has been found with children in the fourth grade learning from expository text. Little is known about the effects of different text types and individual differences on reading process and reading comprehension. In this study the effects of vocabulary and working memory capacity on expository and narrative texts is measured and the differences in reading processes and reading comprehension between groups of readers at the age of 7 is investigated. The results show that expository text are more difficult for young readers than narrative texts, while there are longer fixations in expository texts and readers find it difficult to answer questions of the these texts. Readers with a low vocabulary show longer fixations the readers with a high vocabulary and the have more difficulties in giving the right answers on the inference questions. No effect is found of working memory capacity on reading process, but there is an effect of working memory capacity on inference questions. Readers with a low working memory capacity find it harder to answer the inference questions than readers with a high working memory capacity. Readers with a low working memory capacity have little “room” in their heads to remember information of the texts. A second comparison has been made between weak and strong comprehenders. Weak comprehenders made more errors on the inference questions than strong comprehenders. With a regression analysis the effects of vocabulary seems to partly explain the differences between weak and strong comprehenders.Show less
Het huidige onderzoek richt zich op de betrouwbaarheid en validiteit van de Nederlandse vertaling van de HOME-MC. Aan het onderzoek hebben 167 Nederlandse gezinnen deelgenomen, met kinderen in de...Show moreHet huidige onderzoek richt zich op de betrouwbaarheid en validiteit van de Nederlandse vertaling van de HOME-MC. Aan het onderzoek hebben 167 Nederlandse gezinnen deelgenomen, met kinderen in de leeftijd van 5 tot 11 jaar (M= 7.89 jaar, SD = 1.28). Binnen dit cross-sectionele onderzoek zijn twee wetenschappers bij hen op huisbezoek gegaan. Tijdens het huisbezoek werden de FAS, NOSI(K), PPVT, CBCL en naar het Nederlands vertaalde HOME-MC afgenomen. Bovendien zijn demografische variabelen verzameld. Vervolgens is door middel van Cronbach’s Alpha de interne consistentie onderzocht van de Nederlandse vertaling van de HOME-MC. Deze varieerde van α = .10 tot α = .60. Analyse van de onderzoeksresultaten duidt significante correlaties aan tussen de HOME-MC en (a) de mate van intelligentie van een kind (𝑟!(141) = .20, p = .017), (b) de mate van totale gedragskenmerken (𝑟!(107) = .22, p = .023) en (c) de externe gedragskenmerken die kinderen ontwikkelen (𝑟!(129) = .21, p = .019). Bovendien is een voldoende convergente validiteit vastgesteld, waarbij een vergelijking is gemaakt met de ouderlijke stressindex en de sociaal economische status van het gezin. Daarentegen is sprake van een onvoldoende factorstructuur en matige interne consistentie. Naar aanleiding van het onderzoek is te stellen dat de HOME-MC een adequate voorspeller is voor kinduitkomsten, die op eenvoudige wijze in de praktijk te implementeren is. Het dient wel aan te bevelen om items te modificeren naar Nederlandse maatschaven, huidige empirische kennis en technologische ontwikkelingen om de betrouwbaarheid van de HOME-MC te vergroten.Show less
This study focused on the relationship between math anxiety and self-efficacy in pre-service and primary teachers. The sample consisted of 921 participants. All participants filled out a digital...Show moreThis study focused on the relationship between math anxiety and self-efficacy in pre-service and primary teachers. The sample consisted of 921 participants. All participants filled out a digital questionnaire, including questions from the Mathematics Anxiety Scale (MAS; Betz, 1978), the Abbreviated Mathematics Anxiety Scale (AMAS; Hopko et al., 2003) and a self- efficacy questionnaire (Bandura, 1986). Women have a higher level of math anxiety compared to men (p < .001). Men and women indicate to have a same level of self-efficacy in math situations. Furthermore, a significant relation was found between the study binding character of the math exam and the degree of math anxiety (p = .030). No significant correlation was found between the amount of times the test was made and the degree of math anxiety. The interaction – effect was not significant. Also no significant mediation was found between self – efficacy in the relation between the amount of times the test was made, the study binding character and the degree of math anxiety. Further research should focus on the factors influencing math anxiety and traits of an effective treatment of math anxiety. At last, increasing self – efficacy among pre – service and primary school teachers is important in order to improve the level of the math skills of the Dutch population.Show less
The aim of this study was to examine the relationship of intrapersonal and environmental factors with emotional problems of Moroccan-Dutch, Turkish-Dutch and native Dutch youth. The research sample...Show moreThe aim of this study was to examine the relationship of intrapersonal and environmental factors with emotional problems of Moroccan-Dutch, Turkish-Dutch and native Dutch youth. The research sample consisted of 181 Moroccan-Dutch students, 149 Turkish-Dutch students and 211 native Dutch students in the age of 12 to 18 years. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was used to assess whether the students had emotional problems. The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale was used to measure self-esteem and the Family Affluence Scale to measure the socio-economic status. The results show that emotional problems are most frequently reported by girls, except for Moroccan-Dutch students in which no difference is found between boys and girls. There was no difference in emotional problem between the younger group (12 to 14 year) and the older group (15 to 18 year). In general, students with low self-esteem seem to experience more emotional problems. Furthermore the results show that there are ethnic differences in the correlation between the socio- economic status and emotional problems. For Turkish-Dutch and native Dutch students the results show that a high socio-economic status correlates with less emotional problems. On the other side the results for Moroccan-Dutch students show that a high socio-economic status correlates with more emotional problems. For follow-up research it’s interesting to examine multiple intrapersonal and environmental factors in relation to emotional problems. This insight will help professionals in adjusting their methods more specifically to risk factors for emotional problems in Moroccan-Dutch, Turkish-Dutch and native Dutch youth.Show less
Background: Both social cognitive skills and achievement motivation are important for a successful (school)career and a successful social life. Little is known about the exact role of parents in...Show moreBackground: Both social cognitive skills and achievement motivation are important for a successful (school)career and a successful social life. Little is known about the exact role of parents in the development of social cognitive skills and achievement motivation. However, as part of the social learning environment, parents can potentially exert great influence on such skills. Aim: To stimulate the development of social cognitive skills and achievement motivation of children by a parental education program. Method: 62 children (age 9 to 11 years), enrolled in Freinet elementary school, were tested on social cognition with the short version of Social Cognitive Skills Test and achievement motivation with the questionnaire Achievement Motivation Test for Children. Both test were assessed at the beginning (September/October 2012) and end (June/July 2013) of the school year. The parental education program, focused on information about brain development, was implemented around mid-term and required the 27 enrolled parents to do homework assignments with their children. The parents were randomly assigned to the education program (N = 27) or the control group (N = 35). The development of social cognition and achievement motivation was analyzed with a Repeated Measures ANOVA. Results: The social cognitive skills increased significantly in both groups. The training group showed significantly more growth than the control group. There was no difference between the achievement motivation at the pretest and the posttest for both groups. Conclusion: Children can benefit from the parental education program. Parental participation was associated with significant more growth in social cognitive skills. However, for achievement motivation, the parental education program did not sufficiently influence the children during the school year.Show less
Ouders die zelf als kind mishandeld werden zouden op latere leeftijd eerder hun eigen kinderen gaan mishandelen, dan ouders waarbij dit niet het geval is. Dit wordt de intergenerationele overdracht...Show moreOuders die zelf als kind mishandeld werden zouden op latere leeftijd eerder hun eigen kinderen gaan mishandelen, dan ouders waarbij dit niet het geval is. Dit wordt de intergenerationele overdracht van kindermishandeling genoemd. In deze bachelorscriptie wordt het doorbreken en in stand houden van de transmissie van kindermishandeling besproken. Bij een empirische studie werd een groep van 60 moeders willekeurig geselecteerd om het verband tussen meegemaakte en huidige mishandeling te toetsen. Meegemaakte kindermishandeling werd gemeten door middel van de ‘Jeugd Trauma Vragenlijst’ (JTV) en huidige kindermishandeling met de ‘Conflict Tactics Scale’. Meegemaakte emotionele verwaarlozing was gerelateerd aan huidige psychische agressie. Er werd geen significant verband gevonden tussen meegemaakte mishandeling en huidige mishandeling. Er werden verder ook geen significante verbanden gevonden tussen de overige subtypen van meegemaakte en huidige mishandeling. Door literatuuronderzoek werd vanuit de gehechtheidstheorie en de sociale leertheorie bekeken hoe de intergenerationele overdracht van kindermishandeling in stand gehouden wordt en hoe de transmissie doorbroken kan worden. Uit de resultaten bleek dat de kans op transmissie van kindermishandeling minder groot is bij moeders die een coherente gehechtheidsrepresentatie en een beter zelfbeeld hebben, dit is in overeenstemming met de gehechtheidstheorie. Een slechte kwaliteit van de gehechtheidsrelatie zorgt voor een groter risico op de intergenerationele overdracht van kindermishandeling. Een ondersteunende opvoeder in de kindertijd, therapie en een ondersteunende partnerrelatie in de volwassenheid zijn beschermende factoren die kunnen bijdragen aan het doorbreken van de intergenerationele overdracht van kindermishandeling. In consistentie met de sociale leertheorie is gebleken dat agressief gedrag richting het kind door de ouder een risicofactor kan zijn voor agressief gedrag door het kind zelf in de volwassenheid. Lichamelijke straffen door de ouder zijn van invloed op agressief gedrag bij het kind. Delinquenten schijnen het negatieve gedrag uit hun kindertijd tevens te imiteren. Het onderzoek dat tot nu toe gedaan is naar kindermishandeling is veelal retrospectief. Er zou meer prospectief onderzoek gedaan moeten worden naar de intergenerationele overdracht van kindermishandeling, waarbij gekeken wordt in hoeverre preventie en interventies kunnen bijdragen aan de doorbraak van de intergenerationele overdracht van kindermishandeling.Show less
This research aims to examine and elaborate on possible changes in the degrees of respect for human rights in Libya and Tunisia before and after the events that took place in 2011, which are known...Show moreThis research aims to examine and elaborate on possible changes in the degrees of respect for human rights in Libya and Tunisia before and after the events that took place in 2011, which are known as the Arab Spring uprisings. By examining the spiral model by Risse and Sikkink (1999) this research is set up to trace a process of change in the degree of respect for human rights towards compliance to human rights norms in both countries. Results show in the case of Libya that the mobilization of both national as well as international actors evidently contributed to regime change during the Arab Spring and improved human rights conditions to a certain extent. Comparable transnational mobilization took place in Tunisia, where domestic opposition was likewise blocked. Tunisia’s post-Arab Spring period marks a time of considerable improvements in human rights conditions and the general respect for human rights. Although human rights violations are still occurring in both countries, the evaluation of past research and the tracing of current transnational involvement with respect to human rights conditions can contribute to the scientific and public understanding of the importance of human rights advocacy. In the long run, the mobilization and support of transnational human rights organizations continues to contribute to future compliance to human rights norms, in these countries and around the globe.Show less
In this thesis the ways in which power is shaped in the Arctic among the ‘Arctic five’ states are analyzed. It is argued that the Arctic is a multipolar region, in which Russia is the most dominant...Show moreIn this thesis the ways in which power is shaped in the Arctic among the ‘Arctic five’ states are analyzed. It is argued that the Arctic is a multipolar region, in which Russia is the most dominant and other actors adopt strategies towards Russia such as soft balancing, bandwagoning, and appeasement. The thesis shows that traditional conceptions of power do not apply unequivocally to the Arctic region, because it is hard to control effectively due to its unique geographical composition. Power in the Arctic is based on the recognition of sovereign rights over an area, which will give states economic opportunities (control over waterways and resources) in the future due to melting ice. The ideal of permanence underlying modern sovereignty is absent in the changing Arctic, and sovereign rights for exploitation of an area do not give states actual sovereignty. Sovereignty disputes are therefore often unclear and create interesting power dynamics. They are resolved through institutional procedures based on international law and political geography, yet states have opportunities for negotiation and can adopt their own viewpoints on sovereignty based on what suits the national interest. Thus the Arctic provides a unique example of ‘structural power’ and the interaction between structure and agency. Due to the ever-changing nature of the Arctic, states’ interests are more future-oriented than elsewhere. The thesis concludes that while security and sovereignty have become more important in the Arctic in recent years, there is no ‘security dilemma’ because capacity building does not directly threaten other states, and military conflict does not lead to gains and is highly unlikely. Security issues are rather more specific and less concerned with warfare, and more with the environment and emergencies. The difficulty of operating in the Arctic environment compels states to cooperate through international institutions, but the ‘Arctic five’ do this to further their national interests. The interdependence of the Arctic with the system-level is traced, and it is found that states are limited in their options in the Arctic due to mutual commitments on a global scale and possible precedent effects of agreements in the Arctic.Show less
