Exploring the Underlying Motivations of the Antarctic Scientists of the Heroic Age.

Type of content
Theses / Dissertations
Publisher's DOI/URI
Thesis discipline
Science
Degree name
Postgraduate Certificate in Antarctic Studies
Publisher
University of Canterbury
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Language
English
Date
2017
Authors
Cox, Anna
Abstract

Scientific discovery in the Heroic Age of Antarctic exploration, the ten years commencing 1907, was extremely demanding and carried great risk. The working conditions of the scientists within the expedition teams led by Shackleton, Charcot, Shirase, Filchner, Mawson, Scott, and Amundsen varied greatly. Scott ran a comprehensive scientific institute, appointing a capable team of scientists, encouraging ongoing scientific pursuit with regular lecture series and providing the necessary logistical support, alongside his sporting pursuits. Charcot and Mawson led expeditions purely for scientific purposes. Shackleton and Charcot each endeavoured to provide a similar science setting to Scott's, but were limited by geographical challenges and personnel issues. The scientists who travelled with Amundsen or with Shirase worked in comparative isolation, but achieved notable scientific work. In all instances, the scientists themselves were highly motivated for scientific discovery in extreme conditions. The accolades, publishing opportunities and financial gain that may have come to them after the expeditions were not the main source of their motivation for undertaking such work. It was the work itself, the extreme environment it existed in, and the people they were working alongside, which collectively provided the main motivation for the scientists to explore within the Antarctic expeditions of the Heroic Age.

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Ngā upoko tukutuku/Māori subject headings
ANZSRC fields of research
Rights
All Rights Reserved