The Purpose of This Book
The Arctic refers to the polar region at the northernmost part of the Earth, north of the Arctic Circle, that contains the Arctic Ocean and several countries that are partly located there: the USA (Alaska), Finland, Denmark (Greenland), Iceland, Canada, Norway, Russia, and Sweden. Harsh conditions prevail in the Arctic, with varying snow and ice cover. Winters are long and dark, with the polar night, and summers are short and bright, with the midnight sun. The area is extraordinary both culturally and in terms of climate and fauna. The Arctic is a mixture of indigenous peoples, each countryâs mainstream populations and immigrants (McGhee, 2005).
The geographical position of the Arctic signifies its characteristics, topographies, and material nature. Immigration to the area renders it a more sustainable society (Yeasmin, 2018), which obviously represents a power of Arctic geography. That geographic power and the Arctic resources can easily shape the social life of its inhabitants, especially immigrants (Yeasmin, 2018). The integration of minorities into the Arctic demands primarily a national identity and a sense of belonging, which can ease their overall integration (Yeasmin, 2018). Sense of belonging refers to a psychological demand for equality in order to establish a territorial presence. Territorial presence matters greatly for immigrants, who are noncitizens of a host country (Song, 2016).
The Arctic as a geographically isolated area does not have a clear view of effective ways to integrate immigrants into the region (Yeasmin, 2018), although the initiation of the integration process is considered in the context of a larger territory (e.g., larger cities in the Arctic; HeikkilÀ & JÀrvinen, 2003). Northern countries have been receiving larger numbers of immigrants since the mid-1980s. This is an extraordinary situation, especially during the past years, with hundreds of thousands of people migrating and seeking asylum all over Europe. As many of these were determined to settle in Northern Europe, the Arctic region had to face new, additional challenges of migration.
Migration in the Arctic is an interesting but less studied phenomenon at the moment, one that influences various societal levels, such as education. However, the region also has to deal with negative migration: Native peoples, especially the young, tend to move south to seek employment and better services. Due to this out-migration, the population of Arctic municipalities has simultaneously decreased and become older. The purpose of this book is to address many of the critical dynamics of immigration and emerging challenges that now confront the region. We hope that the various viewpoints offered by international experts in the field will broaden our knowledge about Arctic human migration and its impact on global changes. Immigration also has a considerable impact on the settlements and population in the Arctic.
Paradoxically, global migration governance can offer new forces and tools to support territorial integration to some extent. It has the potential to empower new regional actors and adopt new governance strategies in the Arctic to support integration process so that Arctic will achieve net positive benefits from immigration by developing human capital. Special attention has been given to comprehensive governance strategies for accelerating the economic integration of immigrants since good governance reinforces economic integration that underpins the relative resilience of the emerging economy in the global north. (Yeasmin, 2018).
Cultural differences, integration of foreign citizens within local communities, and labor markets are some of the issues that demand cooperation in order to contribute to innovative solutions. In this book, we investigate the premises of how to integrate not only adult immigrants but also school-aged children. It is exceptionally important to recognize and address issues caused by Arctic migration and its multidimensional aspects. An improved understanding of this phenomenon supports not only Arctic governance but also all global governances in identifying their problems and strengthens the national ability to implement solutions aimed at effective and sustainable integration and territorial development by increasing the viability of the immigrant community in the host region.
Subjective well-being and a viable economic condition are the essential basics for an active lifestyle. Territorial supports may greatly encourage or discourage the subjective well-being and physical participation of immigrants during socioeconomic adaptation (Yeasmin, 2018). Factors related to territorial plantings vary considerably depending on the authoritative decision of regional and national governments, their policies, and institutional norms (Yeasmin, 2018). Constructing an equitable and sustainable ecosystem for a heterogeneous group of people includes restructuring rules and values depending on the situation, which demands a positive environment that could provide an unbounded source of resources for fulfilling needs, encouraging immigrantsâ self-efficacy, and supporting integration (Yeasmin, 2018).
The purpose of this book is to compile expert opinions and research that discuss the many facets of human migration, particularly how to address challenges with increasing immigration and negative migration; the kinds of cultural, economic, and educational issues that should be recognized and solved; the strengths of the Arctic region and how to adhere to these; how to educate immigrant people about life and culture in the Arctic and yet also enhance appreciation of cultural diversity in the Arctic; and how to develop the Arctic so that it remains a vivid and attractive place to live. This book introduces educational solutions that provide a foundation.
Introduction to the Contents of This Book
Historical Approaches to (Im)Migration in the Arctic
This chapter will focus on the consequences of human migration in the Arctic through two interesting viewpoints. First, Professor Stefan Kirchner discusses historical perspectives of environmental and human security in the Arctic. In his article, he explains how the harsh northernmost parts of Scandinavia and Russia are becoming increasingly attractive to migrants and visitors alike. He raises the question of human security and obligation to protect migrants by analyzing historical developments and contemporary human rights law.
The Arctic area is also home to indigenous peoples (e.g., Thornton & Todd, 2001), such as the First Nations, Inuit, and MĂ©tis in Canada, Alaska Natives in the USA, or SĂĄmi in Scandinavia and Russia. Migration has a specific meaning for these groups. Associate Professor Pigga Keskitalo describes the migration of SĂĄmi people in the past and today. Both the traditional SĂĄmi residential area and the SĂĄmiâs migration from it are influenced by migration into this area. Keskitalo contributes to the international interest in describing nomadic views of migration and how indigenous peoplesâ migration in the modern age appears from the personal perspective.
The chapter ends with Dr. Nafisa Yeasmin and Professor Timo Koivurovaâs article on the crucial topic of socioeconomic adaptation of immigrant women. Arctic immigrants typically face continuous challenges in balancing their lives in a new environment. However, immigrant women and children are particularly at risk of marginalization. This article focuses on a minority among minorities; womenâs challenges are as diverse as their backgrounds. The article expertly blends the human ecology of immigrant women with the socioecological trend of the Arctic and illustrates the barriers that hinder the social integration of immigrant women in Arctic Finnish Lapland, a highly peripheral region. Yeasmin and Koivurovaâs approach focuses more explicitly on the societal impact and offers precautions that can be linked with the sustainable socioecological development of the region. This systematic approach of human ecology and socialâecological resilience in the context of integration of immigrant women is highly significant to the Arctic perspectives.
Present Dialogue and Discourses
The third chapter discusses phases of migrant and immigrant integration in different countries. The effective integration and resilience capacity of both immigrants and the mainstream population are highlighted in this chapter. Contemporary dialogue and discourses about social-economic integration and the human rights of immigrants are discussed together with practical viewpoints on immigrantsâ educational attainment and social participation.
The chapter begins with Dr. Mara Kimmel and colleaguesâ analysis of changing foreign-born populations in the Anchorage region of Alaska (in the USA). The article provides an encouraging viewpoint on how to perceive immigrant inclusion as an opportunity. The authors make the research-based suggestion that immigrant inclusion would benefit the cityâs economic and environmental resilience. They introduce a welcoming program designed to help inclusion of immigrants: They remind us that inclusion is an essential ingredient of overall community well-being and resilience.
Dr. Nafisa Yeasmin and Professor Timo Koivurova continue with the topic of economic integration of immigrants in the Arctic. Employability is perceived as being formed by real and ascribed barriers associated with the status of immigrants, many of whom are unemployed or underemployed, living in a geographically isolated area. Economic integration is an extended field of research that can be influenced by many different factors, such as socioeconomic adaptations and economic assimilation. However, this article focuses on a sociological paradigm for shaping problems that has an impact on the economic integration of underemployed immigrants. The article highlights present discourses on regional and local public issues (i.e., the policies and procedures that hinder economic integration). This assessment proffers an integrative labor market paradigm for understanding the existing and theoretical factors of the objective and subjective issues that cause limitations in the labor market and can enable âmicro-macroâ interactions and incentivize approaches that can strengthen the labor market topographies in Lapland.
The last article, by Dr. Satu Taskinen et al., reports on research conducted with immigrant students in a northern Finnish school. As in the first two articles in this chapter, this also takes the viewpoint of participation and opportunities to become an active member of the community. The study points out how important it is to focus on enhancing integration as early as possible. Through a research design based on Lave and Wengerâs theory on communities of practice, this chapter also provides practical viewpoints on how participation and integration take place at school through language learning and active interaction with local students.
Viewpoints on the Future
The fourth and final chapter introduces perspectives on the future of Arctic areas, including how to tackle todayâs issues and identify potential solutions. Building on the previous chapters, this one includes perspectives on economic integration, refugee issues, educational viewpoints, and all-encompassing features of future determinants of successful living in the Arctic.
The first article, by Dr. Hanna Kelm et al., continues by broadening the viewpoint to generational differences in the economic integration of immigrants. The analysis covers four Nordic countries (Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden). Interesting differences were found between countries and generations, which are crucial when planning support mechanisms for integration. The authors also call for a critical analysis on how immigration is presented in the media and how immigrantsâ integration takes place in reality.
In the second article, professors Kaarina MÀÀttÀ and Satu Uusiautti introduce ideas for Arctic education in the future. The Arctic region faces economic, climate, and (im)migration-related changes that call for new perspectives and bold visions on how education should be redefined. This article addresses the special features of teaching and learning in future Arctic contexts. The authors introduce a model of Arctic pedagogy to be applied in northern education, outlined as a five-level action and teaching tool. The cornerstones of Arctic pedagogy are communalism; adapting, understanding, and analyzing Arctic information in the learning processes; student-centered caring teacherhood; and wide-ranging networking to support learning. The goals of Arctic future skills are discussed in light of the heterogeneous populations of the Arctic both today and in times to come.
Children are the future. With this in mind, the last article in Chapter 4 offers a positive psychological p...