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Instructors: Prof. Dr. Nina Perkowski
Event type:
Seminar
Displayed in timetable as:
Profilseminar 21
Hours per week:
2
Credits:
6,0
Language of instruction:
English
Min. | Max. participants:
10 | 20
Comments/contents:
Over the last 20 to 30 years, the field of security studies has grown at great speed and diversified considerably. But what do we mean when we use the concept of security, and how is security enacted? Who decides this? And whose security counts? In this seminar, we will explore these questions by examining key theories on security, reflecting on the analytical and normative implications of different approaches. To discuss these theories, topics that have been branded security issues will be introduced as case studies as well, ranging from nuclear weapons, to climate change, to migration, among others. The seminar will contrast traditional and critical approaches to security with one another and explore security as a highly contested and contestable concept. In doing so, it encourages a critical reflection on the assumption that security means the preservation of state sovereignty and territorial integrity, and on the Eurocentric and gendered biases that tend to characterize more traditional approaches to security. The first part of the course begins by outlining some of the key debates on security. The second part outlines traditional theoretical approaches, including realism and liberalism. The third part introduces various critical conceptual frameworks, including poststructuralism, feminism and critical theory.
Learning objectives:
To provide a comprehensive introduction to the field of security studies, and diverse concepts and theories of security.
To facilitate the critical examination of particular security concepts or theories.
Didactic concept:
Seminars will include an introduction to the topic by the lecturer or one of the students and structured or semi-structured student exercises and interactions.
Students are expected to complete the essential reading for each week and to actively contribute to the discussion. Students are further expected to engage in independent study, employing the reading lists and other sources to deepen their knowledge of the subject.
Literature:
Will be added in early September
Additional examination information:
Students will be required to participate actively in class, give a presentation, and write an essay.
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