Critical/Non-Traditional Security Studies Flashcards
What was George W. Bush’s view on the underlying causes of conflict, as mentioned in the lecture?
George W. Bush believed that conflict was about human psychology, the psychology of leaders, and manhood
What was George Carlin’s satirical “Bigger Dick foreign policy theory” about?
Carlin’s theory suggested that men compete with each other to feel better about themselves, and war is seen as the ultimate competition driven by inadequate feelings about their masculinity
According to J. Ann Tickner (1988), what is a dominant characteristic of international relations?
Tickner argued that “international relations is a man’s world, a world of power and conflict in which warfare is a privileged activity”
According to George Carlin, which groups of people have been the primary targets of US bombing?
Carlin sarcastically suggests that the US has a “hobby” and “new job” of “bombing brown people,” citing examples like Iraq, Panama, Grenada, and Libya. He contrasts this with the limited historical examples of bombing white people, mentioning only the Germans in World War II, and implying it was due to competition
What shift occurred in security studies in the 1990s, moving away from traditional military concerns?
In the 1990s, security studies broadened its agenda to increasingly emphasize environmental issues, resource conflicts, and human security, moving away from the Cold War focus on traditional military and nuclear matters
According to feminist critics, where can threats to women’s security originate?
Feminist critics argue that threats to women’s security can come from members of their own households or representatives of their own states, not only from external military threats
Besides guns and bombs, what other factors do feminist critics identify as threats to security?
Feminist critics highlight threats such as inadequate access to nutrition, health care, and birth control as critical security concerns
What is a key feminist critique of nuclear strategy and the broader community of defense intellectuals?
A major feminist critique is that nuclear strategy is often framed within a “technostrategic language” that focuses on technical aspects of weapons and marginalizes the survival of human beings, potentially militarizing one’s thinking
What are the two principal approaches within feminist scholarship on security?
The two main approaches are: “Women and security (and in need of security)” and “Gendered understandings of security”. The former often includes other vulnerable groups, while the latter focuses on socially constructed expectations about men and women
What is the focus of “Gender Analysis and Foreign Policy”?
Gender analysis in foreign policy involves seeing international relations through the prism of more than half the world’s population and considering gendered actors (both men and women) and how masculinity and femininity, embedded in language and social structure, influence international affairs
How were masculine values and worldviews seen to have influenced US diplomacy and international relations, using the example of Cuba?
Masculine values were seen in the framing of discourse for intervention in Cuba, using rhetoric of “rescuing the damsel in distress” and the idea that not intervening would be considered unmanly, thus proving American manhood
How was the Soviet Union viewed through a gendered lens, according to George Kennan?
Kennan likened the relationship between Soviet citizens and their government to a disillusioned wife staying with her husband for the sake of the children. The Soviet people were stereotyped as feminine, and the Soviet government as a masculine authority figure, even a “rapist” exerting “unceasing pressure”
What is a potential impact of gendered discourse on foreign policy decisions, using the lead-up to the Spanish-American War as an example?
It is argued that the jingoistic discourse of masculinity in the lead-up to the Spanish-American War may have pushed leadership into a war they didn’t necessarily want, suggesting gendered issues can facilitate foreign policy decisions
What was the focus of Laura Bush’s radio address in November 2001 regarding Afghanistan?
Laura Bush’s address aimed to highlight the “brutality against women and children by the Al Qaeda terrorist network and the regime it supports in Afghanistan, the Taliban,” framing the intervention partly in terms of women’s liberation
What is the main goal of a Feminist Foreign Policy Agenda, as seen in countries like Sweden and Mexico?
The goal is to prioritize gender equality, environmental integrity, peace, and human rights, aiming to disrupt colonial, racist, patriarchal, and male-dominated power structures
What are some key components of a Feminist Foreign Policy Agenda?
Key components include: increasing funds for gender equality abroad, correcting gender imbalance in diplomatic service, using levers of power to pressure foreign governments, vetting security assistance for its effects on women, inclusion of women in defense and peacebuilding, and the goal of demilitarization and non-proliferation of nuclear weapons
What is the traditional focus of security, and how does human security differ?
Traditional security focuses on securing states, with the assumption that this ensures the security of people within those states. Human security, however, is a broader concept encompassing the security of people, including their physical safety, economic and social well-being, dignity, and human rights
According to the 1994 UN Human Development Report, what are some categories of threats to human security?
economic security
food security
health security
environmental security
personal security
community security
political security
What does the 1994 UN Human Development Report say about the origins of insecurity for ordinary people?
It states that a feeling of insecurity for ordinary people arises more from worries about daily life than from the dread of cataclysmic world events
What is “environmental security”?
Environmental security concerns the idea that the environment is at risk from human activity and that environmental change can pose risks to states, although its direct causal link to war and terrorism is controversial
How might environmental change affect the military?
Environmental change may affect the risk/likelihood of future conflicts, likely result in more missions associated with public health crises, and could have implications for the procurement of military equipment
What are some ways in which war can damage the environment, using the example of the war in Ukraine?
Environmental damage from war can be an unintended consequence (e.g., shelling leading to wildfires) or part of a military strategy (e.g., destruction of dams). The Ukraine war has seen the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka Dam, impacting ecosystems, human health, and food production
What was Robert Kaplan’s argument regarding environmental security in the 1990s?
Kaplan argued that environmental security would be the national security issue of the 21st century, forecasting a grim future of conflict linked to instability and migration due to environmental crises, as detailed in his book “The Coming Anarchy”
How will most of the world’s population growth be distributed in the mid-21st century?
Most population growth is expected to occur in poorest countries and in urban areas, with an estimated 75% of the world’s population living in urban areas by 2050
How is the conflict in Darfur often linked to climate change?
The war in Darfur is often cited as an example linking mass violence with climate change, where devastating droughts in the 1970s-1980s exacerbated internal problems, particularly Arab-African ethnic tensions, eventually leading to secessionist attempts and violent repression
How might climate change influence submarine detection?
Climate change, specifically warming sea surface temperatures and melting Arctic ice, may affect patterns of underwater sound propagation, which is the primary means for anti-submarine warfare. Studies suggest acoustic detection may become more difficult in many areas, particularly the North Atlantic
What is “health security”?
Health security refers to “access to health care and protection against diseases: including infections and parasitic diseases linked to malnutrition and environmental degradation… and also those diseases lined to lifestyles…”
What does the WHO Constitution (1946) state about the relationship between health and security?
The WHO Constitution states that “health of all peoples is fundamental to the attainment of peace and security”
How has COVID-19 seemingly changed the traditional view of health problems in international politics?
COVID-19 appears to have elevated the importance of health problems in international politics, leading to widespread mobilization, changes in daily lives, radical shifts in government policy, and prioritization of countering the pandemic
What are some of the ways in which climate change is described as a security issue?
Climate change is described as “a matter of life and death” (UN Secretary General António Guterres), “the biggest threat to security that modern humans have ever faced” (Sir David Attenborough), and “a threat to human well-being and the health of the planet” (IPCC)
What are some arguments against universally accepting climate change as a security issue?
Some leaders deny the existence of the problem, while others do not see it as a security priority compared to more immediate concerns. Additionally, some countries like Russia and China argue that international efforts to counter climate change can impinge on their sovereign rights of economic development
What is “food security”?
Food security is defined as “adequate access to food, both physically and economically,” and also includes getting access to foods important for culture, health, and well-being
What does “personal security” address?
Personal security addresses threats from physical violence, including threats from the state, other states, other groups, as well as violence from crime, gendered violence, and threats against women and children
What does “economic security” entail?
Economic security includes assured income, preferably through paid work, but also public safety net measures for those unable to obtain income
What does “political security” involve?
Political security affords individuals the freedom to be governed in a way that respects basic human rights, protected by democratic institutions where individuals have a voice. Examples of political insecurity include control over information, physical repression, and threats during political protests
Besides Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, hybrid war/gray zone, and terrorism, what else is recommended for exam preparation?
Familiarity with Kenneth Waltz’s 3 levels of analysis (individual, state, and international system) is also recommended
