INTERNATIONAL SECURITY

Chapter 1: An Introduction to Security Studies

Week # 1
Assoc.Prof. Dr. M. Cem OĞULTÜRK
Chapter 1: An Introduction to Security Studies

Learning Outcomes

● Identify international security and

security studies in the 21st century

● Describe the concept of

international security

● Investigate peace
studies and conflict
resolution

● Examine current and future

global threats and challenges
Chapter 1: An Introduction to Security Studies

Chapter Outline

● Introduction
● International Security and Security Studies in the 21st Century
● The Concept of International Security
● Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution
● Current and Future Global Threats and Challenges
Chapter 1: An Introduction to Security Studies

Introduction

- Since the end of the Cold War, we witnessed:

+ drastic changes in the security environment

+ endeavor to explain contemporary security issues
+ potential of humanity for progress and finding solutions

- State security vs. a broader understanding of order and security

- the two central components that have changed the nature of power:
Globalization & Interdependence
Chapter 1: An Introduction to Security Studies

Int. Security and Security Studies in the 21st Century

- The Westphalian system: the state and state security

- Hobbesian anarchical world: the raison d’être of the state: is to protect its
citizens and it borders from an outside invasion.

- International security studies (ISS) is a subfield of International

Relations (IR). It has evolved from the disciplines of War Studies,
Military History, and Geopolitics after the Second World War

- ISS is defined as “the study of the threat, use, and control of military
force.”
Chapter 1: An Introduction to Security Studies

Int. Security and Security Studies in the 21st Century

- It is possible to classify ISS under two main approaches:

1) Traditionalist Approach
a) Military-oriented and state-centered conception of Sec.Studies
b) Peace Research

2) Critical Approach
a) Feminist Security Studies
b) Copenhagen School
c) Poststructuralism
d) Constructivist Security Studies
Chapter 1: An Introduction to Security Studies

Int. Security and Security Studies in the 21st Century

Basic Features of the Traditionalist Security Approaches

1) emphasized the military aspects of security

emphasized such concepts as war, defense, strategy, and
geopolitics.
focused on the problem of national security and nation-state

2)chose a narrow or mono-sectoral agenda and attached priority to one sector

(military), one actor (the state), and the use of force

3)had a statist perspective, which is based on a scientific and objectivist

understanding of knowledge.
Chapter 1: An Introduction to Security Studies

Int. Security and Security Studies in the 21st Century

Basic Features of the Critical Approaches

1) aimed to widen the concept of security through the issue

linkage and bringing into discussion new types of threats,
actors, and referent objects.

1) held that threats and referent objects are socially-constructed.

1) adopted diverse sets of theories and some form of post-

positivist approach of security: the ontological foundations of
understanding of security shifted toward an emphasis on
processes of construction, ideas, and identities
Chapter 1: An Introduction to Security Studies

Int. Security and Security Studies in the 21st Century

Effects of Globalization on Security and Security Studies

- The critical ISS scholars believe in the new borderless

world and the “global village” phenomenon

- international organizations have played more active roles in

international security because of globalization.

- informal security institutions have emerged

- the rapid proliferation of private military and security companies
(PMSCs) in armed conflicts around the world.
Chapter 1: An Introduction to Security Studies

Int. Security and Security Studies in the 21st Century

Barry Buzan distinguished five models of security

(emerged due to newly emerging diversity of perceived threats):

1. Military Security: offensive capabilities and state

intentions
2. Political Security: stability, systems of gov., ideologies
3. Economic Security: access to resources, finance, markets
4. Societial Security: reproduction of culture, customs, identities
5. Environmental Security: continued existence of humans
Chapter 1: An Introduction to Security Studies

Int. Security and Security Studies in the 21st Century

September 11 introduced new challenges and new elements:

1. Nation-states were no longer as important and strong

2. Technology, innovations and new inventions based
on information technologies started becoming critical
components
3. New and unconventional forms of warfare emerged.
irregular warfare,
asymmetrical warfare,
psychological and information warfare,
cyber warfare,
hybrid warfare,
Nano-warfare.
Chapter 1: An Introduction to Security Studies

Int. Security and Security Studies in the 21st Century

New and unconventional forms of warfare:

+ Irregular warfare:
+ Asymmetrical warfare:
+ Psychological warfare:
+ Information warfare:
+ Cyber warfare:
+ Hybrid warfare:
+ Nano warfare:

Note: see page 6 of the textbook for the definitions.

Chapter 1: An Introduction to Security Studies

The Concept of International Security

+ International Security: “the absence of a threat to the stability

of the international system and international actors.”

+ The Cold War and International Security: Main objective was

to protect the state against internal and external threats.

+ After the Cold War: the emphasis has shifted to collective

security, human security, ethnic conflicts, global economy,
environment, international migration, global terrorism, and
cyber warfare.

+ Security Dilemma: actors aspire for security, but the

interaction of their efforts creates general insecurity.
Chapter 1: An Introduction to Security Studies

The Concept of International Security

Explaining international security in six levels:

• Individual level: Security for the individual

• Societal level: Security for the social group
• National level: Security for the state or nation.
• Regional level: Security for the region,
• International level: Security for the international society
• Global level: Security for the planet Earth and space
Chapter 1: An Introduction to Security Studies

The Concept of International Security

Collective Security (CS):

+ the founders of the League of Nations have supported a project for
the collective enforcement of peace.
+ Collective security is rested on: “One for all, and all for one”:

a) All actors should become a member in a CS organization.

b) All threats and challenges have common attention from members
c) CSO must provide necessary conflict resolution
mechanisms including judicial organ, arbitration, mediation.
d) If security and peace threatened, members of the CSO should take
action such as boycott, sanctions, and the use of force
Chapter 1: An Introduction to Security Studies

The Concept of International Security

The Critique of the idea/system of Collective security :

1) Nuclear weapons and MAD weaken the deterrent effect;

2) CSOs have failed to prevent aggression in the 1930s;
3) It is hard to implement CS in an anarchical world of
sovereign nation-states
+ states are forced to give up their sovereign right to use of force
+ states may not punish friends as well as enemies and powerful
countries as well as weak ones
+ collective security makes the states believe that
only in two conditions, use of force is a
legitimate form of aggression.
Chapter 1: An Introduction to Security Studies

The Concept of International Security

Human Security

+ focus of human security is the protection of individuals

+ In a narrow sense, human security is the absence of threats to the

physical security or safety of individuals

+ In a broader sense: human security emphasizes positive aspects

and vital core of all human lives (human rights, survival of
livelihood, and fulfillment of human dignity and freedoms).

+ Human security is an interdisciplinary concept that brings ‘human

elements’ of security, rights, and development with five main
features (see p. 10).
Chapter 1: An Introduction to Security Studies

The Concept of International Security

The Comparison of Collective Security with Human Security

(see page 11, Table 1.1)

a) Actor
b) Objective (what is to be protected)
c) Threats
d) Tools
e) Threat Location
f) Philosophical Tools
Chapter 1: An Introduction to Security Studies

Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution

Definition of Peace: One may define peace in two ways:

1) Peace in negative sense: the absence of direct violence.

2) Peace in positive sense: negative peace plus the
absence of structural and cultural violence.

Definition of International Conflict:

+ International conflict occurs when basic human needs such as
identity, security or recognition are not satisfied and incompatible
aspirations of power exist in international and intergroup relations.
Chapter 1: An Introduction to Security Studies

Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution

Conflict Analysis and Conflict Mapping:

+ Conflict analysis is a tool (method) of the complex dynamics of

interactive processes to explain and understand why and how
people use violence.

+ By mapping of a conflict, a person can present a road-map or a

visual flipchart/blackboard for conflict analysts, practitioners and
policymakers.
- Conflict mapping should include: the parties, issues, sources,
dynamics, means, orientations and environment of the conflict.
Chapter 1: An Introduction to Security Studies

Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution

cv
Chapter 1: An Introduction to Security Studies

Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution

Peace and Conflict Theories

1) Democratic Peace Theory: Democracies do not fight each other.

1) (Burton’s) International Conflict (Resolution) Theory: assumes that

the origin of conflict lies in the basic human needs, namely
security, identity, and participation.

+ Basic Human Needs Approach (BHN): the origin of conflict

is rooted in the unmet basic human needs.
Chapter 1: An Introduction to Security Studies

Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution

Tools /Methods of Interveners in an International Conflict:

1) Preventive Diplomacy: early warning systems

2) Conflict Management (Peacekeeping):interveners take necessary
steps to prevent existing fire from spreading
3) Peacemaking: used to suppress the fire or conflict (coercive
peacemaking).
4) Peacebuilding (Conflict Transformation): is a reactive and
proactive intervention technique designed to work with the
survivors of the fire
Chapter 1: An Introduction to Security Studies

Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution

Conflict Intervention

+ Preventive deployment is a new concept for the UN. It was first

advocated by the Secretary General in Agenda for Peace paper.
(Defends preventive military action rather than a diplomatic one).

+ Coercive Diplomacy: refers to a defensive strategy in order to

secure a peaceful resolution of a serious dispute. This strategy
primarily involves the threat of force or sanctions.
Chapter 1: An Introduction to Security Studies

Current and Future Global Threats and Challenges

+ Military threats and great power rivalry may not be no longer the
gravest danger to the world security

+ Current global threats and challenges have taken new forms in the
twenty-first century.

+ The Copenhagen School of IR has widened the concept of

security by including non-military issues that could be
non- existential threats.

+ The Types of Human Security Threats: Economic, Food, Health,

Environmental, Personal, Community, Political Security (see
pages 22-23).