http://hdl.handle.net/11122/13000 2026-04-18T07:06:29Z http://hdl.handle.net/11122/15986 Collective action in marine mammal co-management: relationships as tools of cooperation Ransdell-Green, Joseph E. Collective action has great importance in solving many socio-ecological issues because the sustainable management of natural resources requires that different people and institutions cooperate with one another to contribute to a collective good. Over the past sixty years, two general theories of collective action have formed. These theories continue to influence debates about what factors drive collective action. In the 1960s, first-generation collective action scholars proposed that laws from centralized governments or privatization were needed to combat collective action problems such as overpopulation and overexploitation of resources. Second- generation scholars argue that groups can self-organize to solve collective action problems. Elinor Ostrom and other scholars have used empirical evidence to show that groups are able to effect collective action independently of external factors. These researchers argue that social norms and values supporting reciprocity, fairness, and trustworthiness play an important role in successful collective action. These various forms of social phenomena, such as relationships and trust, are known as social capital. To investigate the factors of collective action, I partnered with the Indigenous Peoples Council for Marine Mammals (IPCoMM), an umbrella organization of marine mammal co-management Alaska Native Organizations. IPCoMM member organizations work with Alaska Native communities and U.S. federal agencies to jointly manage marine mammal species under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972. This project is the first collective action research to be conducted in partnership with IPCoMM. The research reveals that the organizations are supporting their collective action efforts by strong relationships with one another and with federal agencies. Trust is one of the most important aspects of these relationships. The relationship-building and trust-building factors that foster collective action for IPCoMM include long-term relationships, frequent communication, face-to-face communication, respect for other viewpoints, inclusion within organizations, humility, personal bonds, and promise keeping. This research demonstrates that trustful relationships (or social capital) are integral to bringing diverse partners together for innovation and collaboration, and promoting collective action in marine mammal co-management in Alaska. Thesis (M.A.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2025 2025-05-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/11122/15961 Power dynamics in Arctic community and citizen science: perspectives from youth, educators, and scientists Sarah, Clement Arctic research is shifting from a culture of scientist-driven inquiry and extractive relationships with Indigenous communities to a culture more conscious of local priorities and reciprocal research relationships. Today, Arctic research has dual goals of studying circumpolar issues through large-scale research and collaborating with local individuals and communities. The emergence of methods like community and citizen science (CCS), in which non-scientists participate in research, has risen in popularity to meet these priorities. The broad aims of CCS are to advance scientific understanding; aid decision-making; and support individual outcomes. I address the third aim by investigating three growing, yet understudied, groups in CCS research in the Arctic and sub-Arctic: youth, teachers, and scientists. In Chapter 2, I tested the effect of two CCS program models (contributory versus co-created) on youths’ science self-efficacy and science interest, finding that while the youths’ survey data did not detect post-program changes in either learning outcome, their interview data revealed substantial differences in youths’ science self-efficacy between program models. In Chapter 3, I examined how teachers supported their students’ development of critical environmental agency in a co-created CCS program. Teachers braided Indigenous knowledge and Western science, positioned their students as leaders in their projects, and helped them create projects to address community needs, which supported students’ critical environmental agency-linked identity development, relationship to place, and environmental action. Finally, in Chapter 4, I interviewed CCS practitioners about their engagement in CCS research. They identified benefits, challenges, and their motivations across six themes: actionable science, communication, cross-cultural engagement, data, multiple perspectives, and relationships. Across the three studies, the key theme emerged of how shifting power from scientists to youth, teachers, or communities changes the nature of the outcomes in CCS projects. Together, the chapters provide insights into how CCS is aiding the culture shift in Arctic research. Dissertation (Ph.D.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2025 2025-05-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/11122/15685 Centering community and joy through co-production: tracking the seasonal changes of Utqiaġvik’s spring whaling Pikok, Kimberly Kivvaq Using mixed methods and multimedia approaches, I investigated the multigenerational perspectives and seasonal changes in Utqiaġvik’s spring whaling. As an Iñupiaq living in my home community of Utqiaġvik, it was important to me to center my community’s knowledge and Iñupiaq-led entities. I used various tools and resources such as conducting semi-directed interviews, hiring a local Iñupiaq videographer to take photos and videos of spring whaling preparations, and using observational data from the Alaska Arctic Observatory and Knowledge Hub. The interviews, conversations with local Iñupiat-led entities and whalers, and the observational data guided my research goals and objectives and, more importantly, determined what key whaling events to research and analyze. Here, I am combining these techniques and resources to address the seasonal changes of our spring whaling key events (e.g., breaking trail) in the context of coastal Iñupiaq communities of northern Alaska and how we can use observations from our Indigenous Knowledge holders to inform scientists and managers of what is happening during spring whaling. In my research, science communication and community engagement occurred concurrently. Therefore, my thesis presents two chapters and a video project, all using excerpts from the interviews and footage and photos from museum archives and the videographer. The two main objectives of this research were communicating the observations of seasonal changes of Utqiaġvik’s spring whaling and centering Inupiat voices and resources. This research embodies significant Indigenous Knowledge and centers hunter and whaler experiences. As an Iñupiaq resident of Utqiaġvik, I hope the research will uplift Indigenous Knowledge and center it in decision-making. Indigenous Knowledge is critical for understanding change in the Arctic. Thesis (M.S.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2024 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/11122/15663 Testing nuclear power in Alaska: the reactor at Fort Greely Johnson, William R. Since WWII Alaska not only has been a major player in the defensive strategy of the United States, but it also has been considered an important military testing ground. This paper will advance the thesis that military operations are often detrimental and, indeed, hazardous to the resident population. Specifically, the SM-1A, a nuclear reactor the Army built at Fort Greely, Alaska in 1962, will be examined with emphasis on the fact that it was used to test nuclear energy production. Additionally, because of the discharge of low level radioactive waste into Jarvis Creek, which runs through Delta, there may be an abnormally high incidence of cancer within the nearby community. Furthermore, this is not an isolated case and other examples of nuclear tests will be presented as evidence. Thesis (M.A.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 1993 1993-05-01T00:00:00Z