DR437E “Governance in the High North: implications for Arctic private and public sector”
ECTS credits: 7,5
Student workload: 180 hours
Level of course: PhD
Course type: Elective
Study location: First workshop will take place in Bodø, the second one – in Oslo
Language of instruction: English
Costs: No tuition fees. Doctoral students will have to pay for their travel and their stay/accommodation during the course.
Course evaluation: Evaluation using final survey.
Course description: The overall aim of the course is to learn and reflect upon multidisciplinary and multi-theoretical research approaches to governance in the context of the High North: what are implications for Arctic private and public sector. This course focuses on the particular ‘level’ of governance associated with a type of organization (including, e.g. public governance, global governance, and corporate governance). Firstly, we outline the concept itself. Secondly, we address governance through relevant theoretical frameworks, and then discuss different examples of its implications, i.e. smart governance. Participation at the conference “High North Dialogue” gives an exemplification of the governance issues in the context of the High North. At the scenario workshop, students will learn about different methodologies for scenario building and will be working in multidisciplinary groups on scenario topic relevant for the governance of the High North.
Governance is a broad issue that is addressed, analyzed, and understood in diverging ways. The literature on governance has a long tradition and embraces multiple disciplines ranging from public administration, through planning, public policy, to economics. This course will give an overview of governance and how to reflect upon it in the different contexts. The governance concept refers to the creation of a structure or order “which cannot be externally imposed but is the result of the interaction of a multiplicity of governing and each other influencing actors” (Kooiman and van Vliet, 1996). Governance is concerned with creating conditions for the ordered rule and collective action (Stocker, 1998), which in turn leads to the “creation, reinforcement, or reproduction of social norms and institutions” (Hufty, 2011). The theoretical reflection upon governance will be considered by stakeholder theory, legitimacy theory, institutional theory and studies of governmentality.
The course seeks to directly contribute to furthering the development of students own research theses/dissertations, deepen their knowledge of the subject and facilitate their methodological preparedness.