Critical Security Studies

The goal

The Critical Security Studies course aims to introduce students to critical and alternative approaches in this sub-discipline of International Relations. During the course, students will be introduced to the place of critical approaches within the broader discipline of Security Studies, as well as its key theoretical and methodological directions. In the first part, students will be familiarised with key theoretical approaches such as constructivism, securitisation theory and the Copenhagen School, critical theory and the Welsh school, gender and feminism, postcolonialism and ontological security studies. In the second section, students will be familiarised with key methodological approaches such as discourse and content analysis, genealogy, ethnographic methods and will read exemplary works which succesfully apply these approaches.

The outcome

The Critical Security Study course is designed to introduce students to key concepts, approaches and debates within the subject sub-discipline. Relying on the literature, students will be able to critically observe the world of security practice, as well as to independently write an academic essay in this field. In addition to the knowledge of the theoretical and methodologiocal approaches and debates, students will develop critical thinking skills as well as writing and presentation skills.

Contents of lectures

1. Introduction to Critical Security Studies
2. Constructivism
3. Securitization theory
4. Critical theory
5. Gender approaches
6. Postcolonialism
7. Ontological security
8. Poststructuralism and International Political Sociology
9. Discourse analysis
10. Content analysis
11. Ethnographic methods
12. Genealogy
13. Reading week
14. Reading week
15. Exam

Contents of exercises

Each lecture is followed by seminars during which students present their research on chosen topics. These presentations also represent the basis of their academic essays.

1. Peoples, Columba, and Nick Vaughan Williams. 2015/2021. Critical Security Studies: An Introduction, 2nd and 3rd edition. London: Routledge

   (Original)

2. Bourbeau, Philippe. 2015. Security: A Dialogue Across Disciplines. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

   (Original)

3. Gheciu, Alexandra, and William Wohlforth, eds. 2018. The Oxford Handbook of International Security. Oxford: Oxford University Press

   (Original)

4. Williams, Paul D., ed. 2012. Security Studies: An Introduction

   (Original)

5. Booth, Ken. 2007. Theory of World Security. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

   (Original)

6. Klotz, Audie, and Deepa Prakash, eds. 2008. Qualitative Methods in International Relations: A Pluralist Guide. Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan

   (Original)

7. Fierke, K. M. 2015. Critical Approaches to International Security, 2nd edition. Cambridge: Polity Press

   (Original)

8. Shepherd, Laura J, ed. 2013. Critical Approaches to Security: An Introduction to Theories and Methods, 1st edition. London: Routledge

   (Original)

9. Salter, Mark B., and Can E. Mutlu, eds. 2013. Research Methods in Critical Security Studies: An Introduction. London: Routledge

   (Original)

10. Aradau, Claudia, Jeff Huysnamns, Andrew Neal and Nadine Voelkner, eds. 2015. Critical Security Methods: New Frameworks for Analysis. London: Routledge

    (Original)

Lectures, seminars