Unit name | Governing Through Insecurity: Institutions and Issues in Contemporary Security Governance |
---|---|
Unit code | POLI20013 |
Credit points | 20 |
Level of study | I/5 |
Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
Unit director | Dr. Peoples |
Open unit status | Not open |
Pre-requisites |
None |
Co-requisites |
None |
School/department | School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies |
Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
This unit assesses the politics of contemporary security governance and considers the extent to which it constitutes a shift away from or challenges the ideal of the nation-state as security provider. To do so the unit commences by asking what constitutes security governance, and how we can critically study the subject. It then turns to an analysis of a range of different institutions and actors that now claim a security role within global governance. We will discuss how different types of institutions conceive of and practice contemporary security governance, and critically assess their status as security providers. Specifically, we will examine the roles, capabilities and strategies of: global organizations (the United Nations) and regimes (the nuclear non-proliferation regime); regional alliances and actors (NATO, the European Union, and the African Union); states as potential providers of global security governance (with a specific focus on the United States); and non-state actors (Non-Governmental Organizations and Private Military and Security Companies) as ‘private’ providers of security.
Aims:
The aim of this unit is to help students as citizens and future decision-makers broaden their understanding of the variety of issues involved in contemporary security governance, and to enhance their critical understanding of a range of key institutions and actors that currently attempt to govern various forms of insecurity.
On successful completion of the unit and via the unit assessment, students will be able to:
The unit will be taught through blended learning methods, including a mix of synchronous and asynchronous teaching activities