Capita International Security (LYX047M05) (LYX047M05)

At the first glance, the Copenhagen and Welsh schools of security studies are completely different, and there are no conditions of possibility for these two approaches to be combined. However, after a deeper engagement with the conceptualizations of security of both schools of thought the essay discovers a way how one can benefit from combining the insights of both.

Over the past two decades, environmental & climate issues were given more space on the international security agenda, and the link between environment and security became a subject of big academic interest. The essay backs this argument up claiming that climate change is indeed an important security issue on different levels of analysis, and should be tackled as such.

One may claim that nowadays people are being taken out of war, that they are not involved anymore in the business of killing, but due to the big turn in the development of war technologies people’s experience in war is rather reduced. The essay argues that the question of agency and responsibility is indeed a tricky one to answer. But with no exaggeration, I would claim that ultimately, war is about people, and about killing them, however, with the help and in cooperation with technology.

Inter Alia, the essay argues that not all security practices nowadays are focused on big data and global surveillance. Yet, these two as well as the whole digital security notion are starting to dominate the security discourse in the 21 century.

The essay answers the questions of whether, why and how have cities become the main site of security, reflecting on the newest developments in the sphere of security in relation to the continuing growth of cities.