RI-SP080 Critical Security Studies

This course will examine a selection of issues in contemporary security studies, from a broadly constructivist or critical perspective. The course does not deal directly with the "classical" issues (such as causes of war, strategy, deterrence, arms control or alliance theory), and does presume background knowledge of them. Instead, the course deals with contemporary themes and issues such as "securitization," biopolitics, risk, exception, and security in the Anthropocene. Each issue is selected to illustrate a particular concept or approach, and while not comprehensive, the course is broad enough to allow students to explore a range of conceptual and practical issues within different critical approaches to contemporary security studies.