Seminar Logics of International Security

The field of security studies has become one of the most dynamic and contested areas in International Relations and, to a certain extent, in International Political Economy as well. The very nature and meaning of -security- have recently been the subject of renewed controversy and debate. Alongside the sphere of national and military security, we are witnessing the emergence of such new fields of research as environmental and climate security, energy security, and, last not least, economic security. Numerous scholars regard this area as one in which some of the most vibrant new approaches to the analysis of international politics are being developed, and some of the most engaged theoretical debates are taking place. The concept of security is not purely an academic one. It raises fundamentally political question of what is involved in the notions of state, sovereignty, community, and identity. And it challenges us to critically examine not only how certain issues are perceived and constructed as security problems, but also who benefits from the framing of security issues. During this course we will take a closer look at a number of theoretical perspectives, especially those within the framework of critical security studies and securitization theory. From the vantage of these theories, we will explore a variety of different themes, in particular the war on terror, migration policies, climate politics and crises of finance. Balzacq, Thierry (ed.) (2010): Securitization Theory: How Security Problems Emerge and Dissolve, New York: Routledge. Buzan, Barry/ Wæver, Ole/ Wilde, Jaap de (1998): Security. A new Framework for Analysis, Boulder, Colorado u.a.: Lynne Rienner. Krause, Keith/ Williams, Michael C. (1997): Critical Security Studies. Concepts and Cases, London: Routledge. For a general introduction to security studies: Collins, Alan (ed.) (2010): Contemporary Security Studies, New York: Oxford University Press, 2. edition. FB 05 Gesellschaftswissenschaften Uni Kassel SoSe 2011 Global Political Economy Dr. Wullweber Joscha