Expressions of Intent for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

A history of the Norwegian-British-Swedish Antarctic Expedition of 1949-1952  (The Maudheim Project)

Outline
The proposed project is a historical-sociological study of the Norwegian-British-Swedish Antarctic Expedition (also known as NBSX or Maudheim) of 1949-1952. The Expedition’s main base was on the ice-shelf on Dronning Maud Land’s coast; Norway had annexed Dronning Maud Land in January 1939. This Expedition is reputed as being before its time in its organization, form and achievements – a successful example of international cooperation in the name of scientific advancement, and a forerunner of the IGY approach. It was not, however, immune from the interstate frictions that characterized pre-Treaty Antarctica. With these perceptions in mind, the project will shed critical empirical light on the Maudheim Expedition as science and as diplomacy. Much of the nitty-gritty work of expeditions gets lost in the ‘doneness’. I refer here to the work involved in field preparations; in changing plans owing to unforeseen conditions; in gathering data in difficult conditions; in just surviving in the field; in working with the data through to publication; and the ‘behind the scenes’ work carried out by those at home. In studying the Expedition as a scientific process, this project will highlight the significance of these – at first glance – ‘unglamorous’ sides of the expedition. In doing so, the study will show how the logistics (eg dogsleds, weasels), instrumentation, and infrastructure of the time shaped the working conditions for science, and how international collaborative work in the field in the early 1950s compares with that of today. (The PI’s PhD thesis of 1997 analysed contemporary polar research collaboration as ‘work’, and highlighted the considerable 'invisible' work involved in conducting polar field work.) The project will also address the Maudheim expedition as diplomacy. How did the protagonists garner support for the project, and by what were they motivated? How was the media used to portray the Expedition? What scientific, diplomatic, and political legacies did the Expedition leave? The study will draw on oral accounts given by individuals involved, or people close to them. This includes scientists who participated in the field (though most have unfortunately died), and others who worked behind the scenes at home in the respective countries. Archival material and media reports from the time will also be studied, along with the few written reports on the Expedition that exist.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
Themes 4, 5 and 6: The polar setting – in which science has historically provided an important vehicle for pursuing political agendas – provides an ideal ‘laboratory’ or vantage point for investigating the relationship between research and its political and policy context, and for studying the nature of scientific practice itself. Further, the Maudheim Expedition is an important landmark in polar science and in science diplomacy, and as such deserves a more thorough treatment than it has received hitherto.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
This project will be conducted within the framework of an interdisciplinary and international network of social scientists and humanities researchers, for whom the legacies of the IPY and IGY are themselves objects of investigation.

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica. Archive work and interviews (oral histories) to be conducted in Norway, Britain, Sweden, and Canada.

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: n/a
Antarctic: 01/2007 or 01/2008            

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
Access to Maudheim field site(s) - or any Antarctic scientific station - though not strictly necessary for completion of the project, will greatly enhance the PI's ability to comprehend the working and living conditions of those overwintering on Maudheim, as well as the nature of research collaboration in modern polar science.

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
A website will be built recording the project's progress and findings, and linking this project to others in the network.

How is it envisaged that the required logistic support will be secured?
Consortium
Own national polar operator
Another national polar operator
National agency

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
The PI has discussed this project with a member of the Swedish IPY Committee (Sverker Sörlin).

PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND STRUCTURE

Is the project a short-term expansion (over the IPY 2007-2008 timeframe) of an existing plan, programme or initiative or is it a new autonomous proposal?
Expansion

The PI's previous work has examined international collaboration in contemporary Arctic and Antarctic research. This project, though new, extends the scope of that work, in that it adopts a historical perspective on the same problem.

How will the project be organised and managed?
The PI holds a permanent position at the Department of Sociology, Umeå University, Sweden. The project will be affiliated with a larger network of social science and humanities projects dealing in various ways with the legacy of the IPYs. The PI will contribute to the joint seminars held within the network. The PI plans to start the Maudheim project as soon as possible, with the intention of completing a book on the Expedition by the end of the official IPY period, March 2009.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
Outreach and communication: Information about, and results from, the project will be communicated to a broader public through print media articles, the project website, and by publishing a book on the Expedition, which will be written in such a way as to make it accessible to the general public.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document?
Harmonization of research plans, methods, and data will be achieved through the network seminars. The ethical and data management guidelines issued by the Swedish Research Council will be adhered to.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
National funding agency: The PI will be submitting a proposal to the Swedish Research Council in the spring of 2005.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
None

PROPOSER DETAILS

Dr Ingrid Schild
Department of Sociology, Umeå University


SE-901 87
Sweden

Tel: +46 (0)90 786 9514
Mobile: +46 (0)73 064 9094
Fax: +46 (0)90 786 6694
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation