Anticipating Antarctica in the 21st century : a view from the social sciences

This short paper takes the form of a speculative essay to present some general reflections concerning the importance of opening up a broader discussion in relation to the challenges facing the future of the Antarctic region. To a certain degree the geophysical and life sciences play an anticipatory role in predicting, prefiguring and preempting probable future global change dynamics. In this essay I argue that social sciences can also play a key role in anticipating possible futures in relations to the Antarctic. In dialogue with the life and geophysical sciences, social and cultural research may open up modes of thinking about probable, possible and preferred Antarctic futures. It can offer a broader approach for better understanding what is at stake in the ways we imagine the future of Antarctica to be, giving a more nuanced picture of how different knowledge practices present contested futures for the Antarctic. In the case of Chile, a nation operating in Antarctica within a framework that is increasingly globalized and interconnected, anticipating Antarctica deep into the 21st century is a nation-wide challenge. It therefore demands a rethinking of existing political frameworks leading to a new cultural economy grounded on emerging forms of Antarctic identity that may ultimately position the Magallanes region as a center for world-class scientific work and Punta Arenas as an Antarctic city.