Lecture Notes: Concept of Security by Barry Buzan

Introduction

• Presenter: Barry Buzan, Professor of International Relations at LSE
• Education Background:
  • First degree at the University of British Columbia
  • PhD at LSE
  • Taught at UBC and Warwick

Focus of Work

• Specialization: Theoretical side of security
• Key Contribution: Authored the first book focused on the concept of security
  • Identified a gap in the literature regarding the concept of security
  • Interest in the conceptual and theoretical aspects of security

Key Concepts

Traditional vs Constructivist Views on Security

• Objective Threat Analysis:
  • Typically includes military, environmental, societal threats
  • Focuses on what is designated as a threat and the security concerns related to it
• Constructivist View:
  • Examines the process by which something is designated as a threat
  • Society's role in perceiving and constructing threats

Designation of Threats

• Perception of Threats:
  • Societies, like individuals, can either perceive threats where there are none (paranoia), or fail to perceive real threats (complacency)
• Process of Threat Construction:
  • Involves who speaks about threats, who listens, and how threats are accepted

Case Study: Cold War

• Cold War as Constructed Threat:
  • Widely accepted as a real threat in both the West and East
  • The rapid change in rhetoric post-Cold War led to de-securitization
  • Example of how a constructed threat can be undone within a short period (4-5 years)
• De-securitizing Process:
  • The transition marked by changes in discourse and the eventual dissolution of the Soviet Union

Conclusion

• Security is a complex concept encompassing both objective and subjective elements
• Understanding security involves analyzing both the designated threats and the social processes that construct these threats