International Security

Recommended Prerequisites

Basic knowledge of English.

Teaching Methods

Lectures and seminars are organized to encourage students’ active involvement in learning, fostering student-student and teacher-student interaction. Lectures will contextualize each topic and will be followed by the analysis and debate of the relevant texts in the seminar classes.

Learning Outcomes

General learning outcome:

- Provide students with an understanding of the fundamental issues of international security, through the critical analysis of theories and debates and the discussion of thematic case studies that relate the general framework of security with international political practices.

 

Specific goals and skills:

- Use theoretical concepts of security studies and applying them to contemporary case studies

- Critical interpretation of the historical process and political, social and economic behavior in international relations deriving from security considerations

- Identify and analyse tensions and conflicts prevalent in specific themes of international security

- Develop skills of critical analysis, synthesis and argument, as well as oral and written presentation.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

1. Definitions of security

2. Theories of security

3. The evolution of the concept of security: from military security to human security

4. Security institutions

5. Contemporary challenges (nuclear weapons, terrorism, technology, private security, migrations, environment, etc.)

6. Critical reflections on international security.

Head Lecturer(s)

Raquel Beleza Pereira da Silva

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Participation: 20.0%
Oral presentation about a pre-defined topic : 30.0%
Test: 50.0%

Bibliography

Booth, Ken (1998), Statecraft and Security: The Cold War and Beyond. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

Brown, M. et al. (2004), New global dangers: changing dimensions of international security. Cambridge: MIT Press [327 NEW]

Buzan, B. et al. (1998), Security: a new framework for analysis. Boulder: Lynne Rienner Publishers [327 BUZ]

Buzan, B. E Hansen, L. (2009), The evolution of international security studies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press [BP 327 BUZ]

Hansen, Lene (2006), Security as Practice: Discourse Analysis and the Bosnian War. London: Routledge [327 HAN]

McSweeney, B. (2010), Security, identity and interests: a sociology of international relations. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press [327 MCS]

Terriff, T. (2001), Security studies today. Cambridge: Polity Press [327 SEC].