Conclusions and Reflections

• Main Author: van Tatenhove, Jan
• Format: Book Part
• Language: English
• Published: Palgrave Macmillan 2022
• Subjects: Arctic
• Online Access: https://vbn.aau.dk/da/publications/2f6031cb-7d44-4308-92c4-233bf5f401b4; https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-09771-3; https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-09771-3_6

This chapter summarizes the main argument of the book and draws some conclusions. The main concept—liquid institutionalization—gives insight into processes of institutionalization at the level of regional seas and the high seas. The assumption of this book was that the farther away from shores and beaches processes of liquid institutionalization would increase, because not one authority is responsible for the governing of maritime activities and sectors and there is room to negotiate, to invent and to develop new institutional rules. In Chap. 2, four forms of liquid institutionalization are distinguished: frozen, gelatinous, syrupy and liquid. The first conclusion is that although the liquid institutionalizations of Arctic shipping, Deep Seabed Mining and Transboundary Regionalization show different forms of liquid institutionalization, the dominant types are gelatinous and syrupy. Secondly, to understand processes of liquid institutionalization power should be an integral aspect of the analysis. Thereafter, the chapter discusses the analytical value of liquid institutionalization, from a structural perspective and an agency perspective. The chapter ends with formulating future research needs.