The Nature of Security Studies/Writing and Research Guidance - 17th Feb 1979 China invades Vietnam, Last example of interstate conflict. - After that there has been peace in the Asian area, Will that peace last? Assessment - Tutorial presentation - Short Assignment 13th March, - Mid-Semester 20ti - Essay synopsis 18th April, 500 words + Annotated bibliography 50 word description - Research Essay 26th May, 2500 words Chicago referencing style, (look on concourse) Textbook on wattle, Asia Pacific Security Studies What is security? - Life and death? - Are we living in the most peaceful era ever? - violence has declined, war is declining but not gone - Like oxygen, don't think about it until you don't have it The advent of the nation-state has been a huge advance in society. Non-state societies have higher homicidal rates. What is security studies? - Sec, comprises a broad range of traditional and non-traditional challenges (the environment and the threats it poses) - Strategic studies, Deals with 'strategy' the theory and practice of the use and the treat of use of organized force for political a purpose (creating means to and end to conflict) What is security? - "freedom from threats to core values for both individuals and groups" Debates in security studies concern: - The referent object of security (who's security) (who is the subject of the security?) - The scope of security (security from what) - The approach to security (how to secure) Leading Security theories - Realism (puts material power at the heart of IR) - Liberalism (power is not the only determinant in IR, institutions and economic inter- dependence) - Constructivism (power is important, emphasis on institutions, norms and focus on change)
- Copenhagen school (more than threats to states, concerned with the language used to describe security) - Critical security studies (similar to constructivist, questions social construction of world politics, why do we think power is important) - Human security studies (changed so much, we should think about problems within the nation state) What is national security? The referent object is the nation statefi - Montevideo conventionfi Article 1 four conditions of statehood - a recognized and identifiable population - a defined territory - an organized and effective government - capacity to enter relations with other states - UN charterfi Article 2fi states are sovereign, independent, equal and not formally subordinate to any higher authority - Assumptionsfi state consists of a single "nation", state performs both internal and external roles A county is a form of political organization. "where there is a monopoly of force over an area 1648, the treaty of the West (failure) Europe divided into nation-states, reformation - wars about religion