Module Information

This module explores the 'critical' turn in Security Studies through an examination of the main contending conceptualisations of security that have emerged in recent years in distinction to the realist-derived orthodoxy.

This module explores the ‘critical’ turn in Security Studies through an examination of the main contending conceptualisations of security that have emerged in recent years in distinction to the realist-derived orthodoxy. The module is suitable for all students of international politics, and in particular those interested in the study of security in its widest sense. It is available to students in both the ‘Specialist’ and ‘Research Training’ pathways. On completion of this module, students should be able to: 1. To understand different theoretical approaches to understanding ‘security’, focusing especially at the critical turn in security studies. 2. To have grounding in the various theoretical schools in critical security studies (first generation). 3. To understand the connections between the study of security and the more general study of IR – pointing out the strengths and limitations each approach brings about. This module provides a critical overview of the study of security in world politics from the perspective(s) of those employing alternative conceptualizations of security to the military-focused and state-centric approaches at the heart of traditional Security/Strategic Studies. Following a discussion of the orthodox approach, the module discusses various critical attempts to conceptualize the meanings and implications of security in world politics. The differences and common ground between these approaches (or schools) are highlighted through a consideration of key debates, empirical cases, and theoretical studies. Links between the study of security and the more general study of IR are identified. The second half of the module introduces students to recent theoretical developments in security studies (second generation), including the study of the value and meaning of security, the ethics of security and security as linked to concepts such as risk, governmentality, protection and resilience, and to some recent methodological developments.