Conclusion: Learning from Greenland in Arctic Security

This edited volume explores how acts and dynamics of securitization and desecuritization unfold in and in relation to Greenland; a polity, central to an Arctic region increasingly captivating imaginations around the globe, yet nevertheless poorly understood. Each chapter analyzes specific discourses and dynamics pertaining to hard or soft security questions spanning from great power interests in geostrategic infrastructure to domestic debates regarding how to promote and protect national Greenlandic identity when engaging with the outside world. Hence, the book applies both deepened and widened perspectives on security questions catalyzed by the effects of climate changes. The aim of the book is threefold: First, it draws disparate case studies together to give a full picture of the security dynamics, altogether forming a Greenland security constellation. Secondly, the book analyzes specificities of Arctic security as shaped under the strained Danish sovereignty, hence scrutinizing the distinct postcolonial characteristics of Greenland which constitutes the most autonomous self-governing non-state in the region. As such, Greenland represents a special case in the regional governance system and is therefore an indispensable – but so far neglected – piece in Arctic security research. Finally, each chapter draws attention to and develops different aspects of (de)securitization theory, whereas the editors conclude on how these peculiarities make us think differently about the Copenhagen School of security studies. As such, the book both provides a comprehensive and thorough overview of Greenland security politics while contributing to critique and advancement of the Copenhagen School’s securitization theory.