Security Studies: An Introduction

Citation

Williams, P. D., & McDonald, M. (Eds.). (2023). Security Studies: An Introduction (4th ed.). Routledge.

Chapter Summary

A large edited textbook of about 728 pages: an introductory chapter by the editors followed by forty chapters, each written by a different specialist, in four parts. Routledge describes the fourth edition as completely revised and updated to cover developments such as COVID-19, the rise of populism, climate change, the place of China and Russia in the world and the Trump administration, with new chapters on great power rivalry, emerging technologies and economic threats. The four parts, in the publisher's words, explore the main theoretical approaches from traditional and critical standpoints (Part 1), explain the central concepts behind contemporary debates (Part 2), give an overview of the institutional security architecture (Part 3) and examine key contemporary challenges to global security (Part 4). The contents list the chapter authors, which are given here in the descriptions only where useful.

Introduction: An Introduction to Security Studies

The editors' opening chapter, by Paul D. Williams and Matt McDonald, which sets out the field before the specialist chapters begin.

Part 1, Traditional Approaches: Chapters 1–3 (Realisms; Liberalisms; Constructivisms)

Three chapters on the established theories of international relations as applied to security, by Michael A. Jensen, Cornelia Navari and Matt McDonald. The plural titles indicate that each approach is presented as a family of positions rather than a single doctrine.

Part 1, Critical Approaches: Chapters 4–8 (Critical Theory; Feminisms; Poststructuralism; Securitization; Postcolonialism)

Five chapters on the approaches that challenge the traditional state-centred view: critical theory (Pinar Bilgin), feminisms (Sandra Whitworth), poststructuralism (Linda Åhäll), securitization (Jonna Nyman) and postcolonialism (Nivi Manchanda).

Part 2: Key Concepts, Chapters 9–17

Nine concept chapters: Uncertainty (Ken Booth and Nicholas J. Wheeler), Great Power Rivalry (Beverley Loke, new to this edition), Culture (Michael N. Barnett), War (Paul D. Williams), Coercion (Lawrence Freedman and Srinath Raghavan), Peace and Violence (Helen Dexter), Human Security (Gunhild Hoogensen Gjørv), Responsibility to Protect (Alex J. Bellamy) and Development (Danielle Beswick). They include both traditional ideas such as war and coercion and the widened agenda of human security and development.

Part 3: Institutions, Chapters 18–23

Six chapters on the institutional setting: Alliances (Sara Bjerg Moller), Regional Organizations (Louise Fawcett), The United Nations (Thomas G. Weiss and Danielle Zach), Peace Operations (Michael Pugh), The Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Regime (W. Pal Sidhu) and Private Military and Security Companies (Deborah Avant).

Part 4: Contemporary Challenges, Chapters 24–33

Ten chapters on violence and organised threats: Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity; Ethnic Conflict; Terrorism; Counterterrorism; Counterinsurgency; Intelligence; Economic Threats (new to this edition); Transnational Organized Crime; Global Arms Trade; and Migration and Refugees.

Part 4: Contemporary Challenges, Chapters 34–40

Seven chapters on the widening agenda: Energy Security (Michael T. Klare), Women, Peace, and Security (Aisling Swaine), Environmental Change (Matt McDonald and Simon Dalby), Health (Jessica Kirk), Emerging Technologies (Paul D. Williams, new to this edition), Cybersecurity (Rhea Siers) and Outer Space (Cassandra Steer).

Key Concepts

Part 1: Approaches

• Realisms, liberalisms, constructivisms: the three traditional frameworks for explaining security.
• Critical approaches: critical theory, feminisms, poststructuralism and postcolonialism, which question whose security is meant.
• Securitization: the process, named in Chapter 7, by which an issue is treated as a security matter.

Parts 2–3: Concepts and institutions

• Human security and the Responsibility to Protect: concepts that each have a chapter of their own in Part 2.
• Great power rivalry, coercion, war: the older vocabulary of strategic competition, updated in this edition.
• The institutional architecture: alliances, regional organizations, the United Nations, peace operations and the non-proliferation regime.

Part 4: Challenges

• Violence and crime: terrorism, counterterrorism, counterinsurgency, genocide, organised crime and the arms trade.
• Non-traditional threats: energy, environmental change, health, migration, cyber and space.

Critical Analysis

Strengths

• Breadth and structure. Forty-one contributions are sorted into four parts that move from theory to concepts, institutions and issues, which makes the book usable as the backbone of a course.
• Traditional and critical approaches side by side. The first part gives realism, liberalism and constructivism the same space as feminisms, poststructuralism and postcolonialism, so students meet the debate between them.
• Recent coverage. The new edition adds chapters on great power rivalry, emerging technologies and economic threats and updates others for events such as COVID-19.
• Specialist authorship. The contents name a specialist author for each topic; Ruth Blakeley of the University of Sheffield, quoted by the publisher, says the book centres the people most affected by the world's wicked problems and equips students to analyse complex security challenges.

Limitations

• Length. At around 728 pages it is far more than a first-time reader needs; most courses will select chapters.
• Edited volume. Forty authors mean different styles and emphases, so the same concept may be handled differently from chapter to chapter.
• Marketing language. The publisher calls it the most comprehensive textbook on the subject; the claim should be tested against the contents and the other textbooks in this list.

Where It Fits in the Course

Within the security studies list this is the primary textbook for readers who want a systematic course. Christopher Browning's International Security: A Very Short Introduction is a much shorter orientation that is best read first, and Alan Collins's Contemporary Security Studies is the closest alternative, another edited textbook that introduces approaches and applies them to a range of military and non-military issues. A course would normally choose one of the two edited volumes rather than both.

Two chapters connect directly to classics on this list. The Securitization chapter leads naturally to Buzan, Wæver and de Wilde's Security: A New Framework for Analysis; and the Realisms chapter to Mearsheimer's The Tragedy of Great Power Politics and Waltz's Man, the State, and War, which are classic realist statements.

How to Use This Book

The book assumes no prior coursework, although an introductory course in international relations helps. It suits undergraduates and master's students, and it works best as a reference to dip into.

• Core: the introduction, the three traditional-approach chapters and one or two critical-approach chapters, then the concept chapters on war, human security and the Responsibility to Protect.
• Then by interest: use Part 3 for institutions and Part 4 for the issue you are studying: terrorism and counterterrorism, environment and health, or cyber and space.
• Alongside the text: pick one current crisis and write two short analyses of it, one with a traditional chapter and one with a critical chapter.
• After the book: go to Waltz, Mearsheimer or Buzan and colleagues for the original arguments behind the theory chapters.