Security Studies: Critical Perspectives

The only introduction to critical security studies to take a question-centred approach, with a unique emphasis on equipping students with the knowledge and skills to think, analyse, and debate using critical perspectives. Security Studies: Critical Perspectives introduces the analysis of security from critical and interdisciplinary perspectives. Taking a student-centred approach to understanding contemporary security themes and cases, it provides an accessible set of analytic steps so that students develop the critical thinking skills and confidence to ask important questions about security and our worlds in contemporary politics. Common-sense security assumptions that reproduce forms of oppression and domination are revealed and their justifications decentred while perspectives inclusive of class, gender and sexualities, ethnicity and race, religion, disability, culture and ideology, political belonging, and the global south are introduced. In doing so, the authors combine critical analysis with concrete empirical issues that connect students to the social and political worlds around them.

Five foundation chapters introducing students to key concepts and methodologies

Fifteen thematic chapters, written by leading security analysts exploring key themes in security

Detailed illustrative cases for each thematic chapter

Accessible short introductions, in the online resources, to some of the major theoretical approaches in critical security studies

Online resources

Extensive cross-references to encourage students to link elements, draw connections and identify similar logics, questions, and approaches.

Digital formats and resources

Security Studies: Critical Perspectives is available for students and institutions to purchase in a variety of formats, and is supported by online resources.
USBLThe e-book offers a mobile experience and convenient access along with additional case studies, introductions to theoretical approaches, a bank of useful web links, and questions for further reflection.BEUE