Role Theory, Environmental Politics, and Learning in International Relations

Sandra Engstrand has a PhD in Political Science from Lund University. She has been teaching courses in International Relations at the Department of Global Political Studies at Malmö University, Sweden.

• 1. Introduction: Learning in Arctic environmental cooperation  2. The studying of learning through roles  3. Above the timberline – the logic of Arctic cooperation  4. Role-playing in the Arctic Council  5. When sovereignty is expected to interfere: a micro-level departure in negotiations on oil spill prevention  6. When action-taking is prescribed: a micro-level departure in negotiations on shortlived climate pollutants  7. Conclusion: The studying of learning through roles – findings and suggestions  8. Epilogue: Looking ahead of Arctic Cooperation

"One of the great strength of this book is its rigorous and empirically rich account of Arctic cooperation from a role theoretical perspective. Sandra Engstrand’s analysis brings together in-depth knowledge of Arctic state interaction, enviromental and resource politics as well as foreign policy learning theory, thereby offering an excellent starting point to explain future cooperation and non-cooperation in this vital region."Sebastien Harnisch, Professor of Political Science, Heidelberg University"Sandra Engstrand offers a refreshing view on Arctic relations, by identify how Arctic states learn and play their roles. It is an important and awaited contribution to the Arctic governance literature. A must read for everyone interested in how states understand the Arctic."Svein Vigeland Rottem, Senior Research Fellow, Fridtjof Nansen Institute"No serious scholar of environmental politics or international relations would deny that climate change in the polar regions has become a matter of urgent concern. If our present habits must change, then states must learn to embrace new behavioral norms. Sandra Engstrand uses role theory to give us new insight into the unfolding drama of Arctic Council negotiations, and new hope about the prospects for learning even as the geopolitics of environmental cooperation have become more fraught than ever."Paul Kowert, Associate Professor, University of Massachusetts