How can Critical Security Studies approaches be applied to the `the war on terrorism´?

Essay , 2009 , 12 Pages , Grade: 73 von 100 Punkten

Politics - Political Theory and the History of Ideas Journal

This essay deals about the approaches of Critical Security Studies (CSS) to the `the War on Terrorism´ (WoT). To understand the approaches of CSS it is important to know, that this view has its origin in the critique of the traditional approaches realism and liberalism. A consequence of this is CSS do not see the state as most important referent object. In contrast to realism and liberalism it is the approach of CSS to look for alternative referent objects beside the state.
But CSS are not just one approach. It is divided into different schools or drifts. This essay wants to research, how these schools and drifts analyse the WoT. Central to this are the paragraphs 2 and 3, which deal about ´Welsh School´ and `Copenhagen School´. These two are most important drifts inside CSS. The other drifts will be discussed in paragraph 4. Afterwards in paragraph 5 it will be pointed out where the failures and critic points of CSS in general as well as in its drifts are.
Even if the impacts in its drifts differ, CSS is based on the Critical Theory/ `Frankfurt School (Habermas) and on Poststructualism (Foucault). This means on the one hand that CSS does not take the state as the most important referent object, but thinks more broadly about the reasons for (in-)security. And on the other hand CSS researchers according to Critical Theory claim reality to be socially constructed and want to look behind the empiricist world. In context of WoT we will see later that this means a critic on official or governmental standpoints.
The debates between CSS and governmental or traditional approaches start at the definition of terrorism. Definitions of terrorism are broadly discussed in practical politics and in International Relations (IR). Because this is such a high-class topic, an own definition will be used in this essay. So `terrorism´ shall be defined as `an act of political motivated non-state violence for achieving a declared aim´. Of course this definition will be discussed in contrast to the definition CSS researches made.
From the debates in the public and the media one has of course a general understanding of WoT. It can be stated here that WoT is mostly understood as fight of the `Western´ world against the global militant Islamist movement known as Al-Qaeda. This situation will be important for the further analysis but also a more abstract definition of WoT is necessary here.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• INTRODUCTION.
• `WELSH SCHOOL´.
• COPENHAGEN SCHOOL'
• SECURITIZATION
• DESECURITIZATION
• OTHER CSS APPROACHES..
• CRITIC ON THE CRITICAL SECURITY STUDIES APPROACHES
• CONCLUSION
• LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS.
• BIBLIOGRAPHY

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This essay examines the approaches of Critical Security Studies (CSS) to the "War on Terrorism (WoT)." It delves into the origins of CSS in critiquing traditional approaches like realism and liberalism, exploring how CSS sees alternative referent objects beyond the state. The essay then investigates how different schools of thought within CSS analyze the WoT, focusing on the "Welsh School" and the "Copenhagen School," as well as other approaches.

• The origins and development of Critical Security Studies (CSS).
• The role of the state in the context of security studies.
• The analysis of the "War on Terror" (WoT) through different CSS schools of thought.
• The social construction of security and its implications for international relations.
• Critiques of CSS approaches and their limitations.

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

• Introduction: This chapter provides an overview of the essay's purpose, which is to explore the different approaches within Critical Security Studies (CSS) regarding the "War on Terrorism (WoT)." It also introduces the concept of CSS as a critique of traditional realist and liberal views on security, emphasizing its focus on alternative referent objects beyond the state.
• 'Welsh School': This chapter focuses on the "Welsh School" of CSS, which challenges the traditional realist perspective on security by highlighting the social construction of threats. The chapter examines how the "Welsh School" critiques the realist argument that there is an empirical reality to security threats, instead suggesting that such threats are often constructed by political elites for their own purposes.
• Copenhagen School': This chapter introduces the "Copenhagen School" of CSS, which shifts the focus of security studies from the state and military to society. The chapter explores how the "Copenhagen School" uses the concept of securitization to analyze the process of constructing threats and the implications for international relations.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

Critical Security Studies (CSS), War on Terror (WoT), realism, liberalism, referent object, securitization, Welsh School, Copenhagen School, social construction of security, political elites, collective identity, normative theory, post-Marxist, Critical Theory, Frankfurt School, poststructuralism, Foucault, international relations.

• College: The University of Sydney (Center for International Security Studies)
• Course: New Security Challenges
• Grade: 73 von 100 Punkten
• Author: Felix Seidler (Author)
• Publication Year: 2009
• Pages: 12
• Catalog Number: V137857
• ISBN (eBook): 9783640464371
• ISBN (Book): 9783640461547
• Language: English
• Tags: Critical, Security, Studies, Punkten