This document contains a complete overview of the readings and lectures of Global Security (). This is perfect for studying and revising after you have done all the lectures because this perfectly summarizes everything you need to know! Good luck studying :)
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Lecture 1: Introduction Readings:
Introduction to security studies
● Security= a state of freedom from danger or threat which is a fundamental human need. Security is a complex and multi-faceted
concept (physical, economic, environmental etc.)
● Study of security is important because it helps to understand the sources of insecurity and develop strategies for reducing or
eliminating it.
● History: military security
● Present: comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach to security
After the return to theory
● Early days: narrow focus on military security and the study of war
● 20th century: broadened its scope to wider security concerns (economic, environmental and human)
● The return to theory: close relationship with IR theory, more interdisciplinary approach to security studies.
Key concepts:
● Security
● Referent object
● Deterrence = strategy to prevent an adversary from taking a specific action by threatening to impose severe consequences if the
action is taken
Lecture notes:
Defining security
● Survival (freedom from life-determining threats)
● Survival-plus (freedom to have life choices)
Security studies
● Golden Age (150-1960)
- WWI & WWII
- National interest= security rather than welfare
● End of Golden Age (1960-1970)
- Public disinterest in national security (critique Vietnam War)
- Focus on international political economy
● Renaissance of security studies (1970-1990)
- New data (historical analysis, more access to archives)
- New methods (more social scientific approaches to explain historic events)
- New realities (en of CW, Iranian + Nicaraguan revolution, Societ intervention in African states and Afghanistan)
Changes due to the Cold war:
● Civilians as targets
● Criminalization of violence
● Identity-based wars
, ● Hybrid wars
Changes after 9/11:
● Global war on Terror (more international intervention)
● Conflicts more complex
Approaches:
● Traditional= focus on the state
- Realism= military security, deterrence
- Liberalism= institutions, intra-state war
- Constructivism= national interests, identities, culture
● Critical security studies= borders, migration, surveillance
● Feminism= gender in war and peace
● Post-colonial studies= development, economic security, regional security
Lecture 2: Anarchy, Readings:
Uncertainty & War Introduction to security studies
● Uncertainty= the extent to which the future is unpredictable or unclear
- The central feature of the security landscape, affecting the behavior of states and other actors in how the approach
security issues
● Sources of uncertainty:
- Distribution of power
- Emergence of new technology
- Actions of key actors
- Decision-making (risk-taking, caution, inaction)
● War= organized violence between political entities
● Outbreak of war:
- Changes in the distribution of power
- Economic factors
- Actions of key actors
- International institutions and diplomacy (preventing war & conflict)
Key concepts:
● Anarchy
● Uncertainty
● Security dilemma
● Strategy
● Great power
● Rising power
Lecture notes:
, ● Anarchy= lack of regulated interactions, absence of government over states
● Unresolvable uncertainty= created by material factors
● Uncertainty about the future
Superpowers= operate globally
Great powers= influential in multiple world regions
Regional powers= influential mostly within a single region
Non-powers= can have an effect on the power distribution (blind spot of the distribution of power theory)
Security dilemma=
● Core concept for understanding conflict escalation and arms races.
● Produced by anarchy and the resulting ‘self-help’ system in which security-seeking states exist.
● Driven by uncertainty and fear about the intentions others.
● Consequences are unintended and ‘tragic’ - but not inevitable.
How do we solve the security dilemma?
1) Define the other as a rival and therefore maximize one’s own (military) power
2) Create security regimes or an international society
3) Create a different world order
War:
1) Violent
2) Large-scale
3) Between organized political entities
Explanations of war:
● Rationalism= anarchy and uncertainty create two structural predicaments for states (information problems & credible commitment
problems) and this causes war
● Issue indivisibility is a possible but unlikely cause of war
China:
● Rising power: China might outshine the US (economic and military)
● Tensions between US and China
● Issue of Taiwan
● Western order is hard to overturn and easy to join (Ikenberry)
● Realist theory argues that the escalating tensions and risks of military confrontations are increasing due to this power transition and
could lead up to a great power war between China and the US
Lecture 3: Alliances, Readings:
Coercion and Diplomacy Introduction to security studies
● Alliances= a formal agreement between two or more states for mutual defense or cooperation
● Defense pacts, non-agression agreements, entente
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