Skip to main content

LUP Student Papers

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Between Ice and Isolation: Exploring the lived experience and Legal Framing of Stalking in Rural Greenland

Gyntzel Gjelstrup, Mette LU (2025) CCRM20 20251
Sociology
Abstract
This thesis will examine the issue of how stalking manifests in Greenland, with a particular
focus on the country’s unique rural, social, and cultural context. Despite the recent legislative
proposal (L112) that is to criminalize stalking and identity theft in Greenland, the issue of
stalking remains under-researched and underrepresented, especially in rural and remote
settlements, where support systems and law enforcement are limited or non-existent. Through
qualitative interviews with Greenlandic professionals, applying the theoretical framework of
Bacchi’s (1999;2009) ‘What’s the problem represented to be’(WPR) approach. This study
will examine how stalking is being framed in the legislative proposal L112, and the
consultations... (More)
This thesis will examine the issue of how stalking manifests in Greenland, with a particular
focus on the country’s unique rural, social, and cultural context. Despite the recent legislative
proposal (L112) that is to criminalize stalking and identity theft in Greenland, the issue of
stalking remains under-researched and underrepresented, especially in rural and remote
settlements, where support systems and law enforcement are limited or non-existent. Through
qualitative interviews with Greenlandic professionals, applying the theoretical framework of
Bacchi’s (1999;2009) ‘What’s the problem represented to be’(WPR) approach. This study
will examine how stalking is being framed in the legislative proposal L112, and the
consultations responses from relevant Greenlandic actors, and whether it aligns with the lived
experiences of stalking victims in Greenland.
The main findings from this study reveal that the L112 proposal is based on urban
assumptions and fails to consider the challenges that Greenlandic victims residing in rural
areas face. The challenges count the lack of anonymity, the limited access to law enforcement
and legalistic support, adding the constraints of close-knit communities that are characterized
by stigma and patriarchal norms. This thesis, moreover, criticizes the lack of gender
sensitivity and intersectionality in the L112 proposal, emphasizing the risk of marginalized
groups, and especially the indigenous women, who are at risk of being excluded and
overlooked by the legal provisions. The analysis underscores the fact that the issue of stalking
in Greenland can’t be seen solely as a legal issue; the need for an approach that calls for a
more holistic cultural context is essential. This includes the implementation of preventative
tools such as the implementation of public awareness campaigns, long-term support
structures, and technological tools, such as safety apps tailored specifically for victims of
stalking in Greenland’s rural geography. Ultimately, this study highlights the need for a
legislative implementation that centers the experiences of victims of stalking in rural
Greenland and ensures that the legal protective measures include the specific socio-cultural
considerations of rural Greenland. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Gyntzel Gjelstrup, Mette LU
supervisor
organization
course
CCRM20 20251
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Keywords: stalking, rural areas, legislative proposal, Bacchi, policy analysis, victims
language
English
id
9201239
date added to LUP
2025-09-19 09:35:38
date last changed
2025-09-19 09:35:38
@misc{9201239,
  abstract     = {{This thesis will examine the issue of how stalking manifests in Greenland, with a particular
focus on the country’s unique rural, social, and cultural context. Despite the recent legislative
proposal (L112) that is to criminalize stalking and identity theft in Greenland, the issue of
stalking remains under-researched and underrepresented, especially in rural and remote
settlements, where support systems and law enforcement are limited or non-existent. Through
qualitative interviews with Greenlandic professionals, applying the theoretical framework of
Bacchi’s (1999;2009) ‘What’s the problem represented to be’(WPR) approach. This study
will examine how stalking is being framed in the legislative proposal L112, and the
consultations responses from relevant Greenlandic actors, and whether it aligns with the lived
experiences of stalking victims in Greenland.
The main findings from this study reveal that the L112 proposal is based on urban
assumptions and fails to consider the challenges that Greenlandic victims residing in rural
areas face. The challenges count the lack of anonymity, the limited access to law enforcement
and legalistic support, adding the constraints of close-knit communities that are characterized
by stigma and patriarchal norms. This thesis, moreover, criticizes the lack of gender
sensitivity and intersectionality in the L112 proposal, emphasizing the risk of marginalized
groups, and especially the indigenous women, who are at risk of being excluded and
overlooked by the legal provisions. The analysis underscores the fact that the issue of stalking
in Greenland can’t be seen solely as a legal issue; the need for an approach that calls for a
more holistic cultural context is essential. This includes the implementation of preventative
tools such as the implementation of public awareness campaigns, long-term support
structures, and technological tools, such as safety apps tailored specifically for victims of
stalking in Greenland’s rural geography. Ultimately, this study highlights the need for a
legislative implementation that centers the experiences of victims of stalking in rural
Greenland and ensures that the legal protective measures include the specific socio-cultural
considerations of rural Greenland.}},
  author       = {{Gyntzel Gjelstrup, Mette}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Between Ice and Isolation: Exploring the lived experience and Legal Framing of Stalking in Rural Greenland}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}