Author ORCID Identifier:
Date of Graduation
7-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Master of Arts in Communication (MA)
Degree Level
Graduate
Department
Geosciences
Advisor/Mentor
Holland, Edward
Committee Member
Peter, Brad
Second Committee Member
Dahlman, Carl
Third Committee Member
Davidson, Fiona
Keywords
autonomy; denmark; faroe islands; mental maps; political geography; territory
Abstract
This dissertation develops and tests a comparative heuristic device called optimal autonomy to explain when and how autonomous territories, or simply autonomies, become durable components of the global system of sovereign states. Drawing on a mixed‑methods case study of Denmark and the Faroe Islands, the study operationalizes optimal autonomy as a heuristic device using three interacting metrics: territorial delineation, national distinction, and state dependence. Using semi‑structured interviews with public officials and a mental‑mapping experiment with university students, this research shows that optimal autonomies are not made from single institutional designs but rather a dynamic equilibrium between maximal territorial delineation, medial national distinction, and minimal state dependence that compromises between state sovereignty and territorial self‑determination. The Faroe Islands, an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, exemplifies this equilibrium. Their island geography and historical separation provides a clear territorial basis for autonomy; student geospatial imaginaries and surveys reveal a medial national distinction that sustains local loyalty without disavowing connections to Denmark; and economic and administrative capacities have reduced state dependence even as strategic and representational ties to Denmark remain. Methodologically, this dissertation contributes a mixed‑methods approach for measuring both the affective and institutional components of autonomy arrangements. The findings inform policy by recommending adaptable legal-constitutional architectures, protections for cultural distinctiveness, and transparent arrangements regarding state dependencies. More broadly, the optimal autonomy heuristic reframes autonomy as a practicable and durable alternative to forced partition or assimilation in a world organized by and for sovereign states.
Citation
Breidinger, E. S. (2026). Drawing Conclusions: Autonomy and Mental Maps in Denmark and the Faroe Islands. Graduate Theses and Dissertations Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/6315
