New Security Challenges

Module Description

Security is central to international politics, yet the way in which security is performed and conceptualised has become the subject of increasing debate and controversy. This module aims to provide an advanced appreciation of the key emerging security challenges in international politics today. The perspective is interdisciplinary (drawing on political and international studies, security studies and human geography) and there will be an emphasis on critical approaches to security issues, including poststructuralism and securitisation theory. The module will draw on a range of topical empirical case studies to address the following guiding questions: What are today’s global security threats? How and why do particular domains of life become problems of security? What forms of power and authority are associated with contemporary international security agendas? How are the effects of security practices distributed within and among societies? How do efforts to secure ourselves produce threats and dangers in turn?

Module Objectives

By the end of the module students will have 1) acquired in-depth knowledge of a range of key debates in the field of security studies in contemporary international relations 2) gained an advanced understanding of the ‘critical turn’ within security studies – its contributions and limitations 3) developed their ability to evaluate a range of literatures and sources covered in the module to formulate academically-informed views on a range of global security issues 4) developed their skills of written and spoken argument within a small group setting.

Preliminary Reading

Colombia Peoples and Nick Vaughan-Williams (2010) Critical Security Studies (London: Routledge)

Keith Krause and Michael C. Williams (1997) Critical Security Studies: Concepts and Cases (London: Routledge)

Assessment

One essay of 4000 words (100% of total mark).