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12 - Security

from Part 2 - The traditional agenda: states, war and law

Anthony Burke
Affiliation:
Associate Professor in the School of Social Sciences and International Studies, University of New South Wales
Richard Devetak
Affiliation:
University of Queensland
Anthony Burke
Affiliation:
University of New South Wales, Sydney
Jim George
Affiliation:
Australian National University, Canberra
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Summary

Introduction

This chapter introduces the concept and practice of security in international relations. It explores various dilemmas of security faced by states, individuals and the global community, by first examining how security has been differently defined, and second by surveying how different theoretical approaches (realism, liberalism, constructivism, feminism and critical theory) have understood and analysed security.

Four crises

In October 1962 an American U-2 reconnaissance aircraft returned from a routine overflight of Cuba with photographs of Soviet personnel and machinery installing nuclear missiles aimed at the US – precipitating a crisis that almost led to global nuclear war (Blight and Lang 2005).

In July 1997 the government of Thailand floated its currency, the baht, on international markets after losing US$23 billion trying to defend its value from attack by traders. It lost 15 per cent of its value in one day, provoking a contagious effect across East Asia that resulted in widespread corporate bankruptcies, massive falls in economic growth and employment, the fall of governments, and protests, riots and civil violence that took thousands of lives (Robison et al 2000).

Two years later, in September 1999, the people of East Timor voted in a referendum on independence from Indonesia, only to fall victim to a campaign of murder and destruction by Indonesian-backed militias. After many days of carnage and intense international diplomacy, the UN Security Council authorised a military intervention led by Australia to stop the violence (McDonald et al 2002).

Type
Chapter
Information
An Introduction to International Relations
Australian Perspectives
, pp. 144 - 154
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2007

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References

Acharya, A. 2001, Constructing a security community in Southeast Asia: ASEAN and the problem of regional order, London and New York: Routledge. Important work of constructivist security theory focused on Asia-Pacific politics and institutions.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Booth, K. (ed.) 2005, Critical security studies and world politics, Boulder: Lynne Rienner Publishers. Comprehensive statement of the Welsh School of emancipatory critical security studies.Google Scholar
Burke, A. 2007a, Beyond security, ethics and violence: war against the other, London: Routledge. Example of recent writing on security and war influenced by poststructuralism and critical theory, applied to Middle East and East Asian issues.Google Scholar
Collins, A. 2007, Contemporary security studies, Oxford: Oxford University Press. Comprehensive textbook to the field.Google Scholar
Fierke, K. 2007, Critical approaches to international security, Oxford: Polity. Excellent guide to the range of critical approaches.Google Scholar
Tickner, J. A. 1992, Gender in international relations: feminist perspectives on achieving global security, New York: Columbia University Press. Landmark feminist work on global and human security.Google Scholar

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  • Security
    • By Anthony Burke, Associate Professor in the School of Social Sciences and International Studies, University of New South Wales
  • Edited by Richard Devetak, University of Queensland, Anthony Burke, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Jim George, Australian National University, Canberra
  • Book: An Introduction to International Relations
  • Online publication: 05 June 2012
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139168557.014
Available formats
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  • Security
    • By Anthony Burke, Associate Professor in the School of Social Sciences and International Studies, University of New South Wales
  • Edited by Richard Devetak, University of Queensland, Anthony Burke, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Jim George, Australian National University, Canberra
  • Book: An Introduction to International Relations
  • Online publication: 05 June 2012
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139168557.014
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Security
    • By Anthony Burke, Associate Professor in the School of Social Sciences and International Studies, University of New South Wales
  • Edited by Richard Devetak, University of Queensland, Anthony Burke, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Jim George, Australian National University, Canberra
  • Book: An Introduction to International Relations
  • Online publication: 05 June 2012
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139168557.014
Available formats
×