Security Studies Exam Flashcards
International security exam cards — securitization, environmental security, and gender in conflict.
14 cards· by GuruOwl
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Try it- 01In what ways has the concept of environmental security been contested?Contested over: (1) whether environment is a “security” issue or a development/politics issue; (2) whose security (states vs people vs ecosystems); (3) whether securitizing the environment militarizes policy or productively raises urgency; (4) empirical claims linking scarcity to conflict.environmental-securitygsc-priority
- 02"Analysis of environmental security is understood as the integrity of the whole ecological system" — what approach does this reflect?An ecological / planetary approach that prioritizes ecosystem integrity, not only state survival or human resource access.environmental-securitygsc-priority
- 03When may an issue fail to become securitized?When a securitizing move is not accepted by a relevant audience — no extraordinary measures authorized; the issue remains in normal politics (Copenhagen School).securitizationgsc-priority
- 04In what ways does gender shape the conceptualization of nationhood and conflict?Gendered narratives cast the nation as family to be protected; masculinities valorize soldiering; women’s bodies become symbols of national honor; wartime roles and postwar citizenship are distributed along gendered lines; sexual violence can be used as a weapon of war.genderconflictgsc-priority
- 05What is securitization (Copenhagen School)?A speech-act process: framing an issue as an existential threat to a referent object, justifying extraordinary measures beyond normal politics, if the audience accepts the claim.securitization
- 06What is a “referent object” in security studies?The thing said to be existentially threatened and needing protection (state, society, identity, environment, individuals, etc.).theory
- 07What is human security?A people-centered security concept focused on freedom from fear and want (individuals/communities), not only territorial state security.human-security
- 08What is traditional (realist) national security focused on?State survival, military threats, territorial integrity, and the balance of power.realism
- 09What is a key risk of “securitizing” climate change?It may prioritize military/emergency responses, exclude democratic debate, and sideline justice/development approaches — even while raising political urgency.environmental-security
- 10What is the security dilemma?When one state’s defensive measures decrease others’ security, prompting countermeasures and spiral insecurity even without aggressive intent.realism
- 11What is collective security?An arrangement where states agree that aggression against one is aggression against all, and respond collectively (e.g., League/UN ideal).institutions
- 12What is the difference between peacekeeping and peace enforcement?Peacekeeping typically requires consent and uses limited force to monitor ceasefires; peace enforcement may use coercive force without full consent to impose peace.unconflict
- 13What does feminist security studies emphasize?How gender hierarchies shape war, peace, security institutions, and what counts as a “security” issue (including domestic violence, wartime rape, and economic insecurity).gender
- 14What is an existential threat in securitization theory?A threat portrayed as endangering the survival of the referent object — used to justify breaking normal political rules.securitization