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People, States and Fear

People, States and Fear

Barry Buzan

(2016)

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Abstract

The second edition of this widely acclaimed book takes as its main theme the question of how states and societies pursue freedom from threat in an environment in which competitive relations are inescapable across the political, economic, military, societal and environmental landscapes. Throughout, attention is placed on the interplay of threats and vulnerabilities, the policy consequences of overemphasising one or the other, and the existence of contradictions within and between ideas about security. Barry Buzan argues that the concept of security is a versatile, penetrating and useful way to approach the study of international relations. Security provides an analytical framework which stands between the extremes of power and peace, incorporates most of their insights and adds more of its own. People, States and Fear is essential reading for all students and researchers of international politics and security studies. The ECPR Classics edition includes a new introduction from the author placing this classic text within a current context.

Table of Contents

Section Title Page Action Price
Title Page i
Copyright Page ii
Series Page iii
contents v
new introduction by the author 1
preface to the first edition 17
preface to the second edition 19
figures and tables 23
introduction 25
THE NATIONAL SECURITY PROBLEM IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 25
SECURITY AS AN UNDERDEVELOPED CONCEPT 26
DEVELOPMENTS DURING THE 1980s 32
THE APPROACH OF THIS BOOK 34
THE STRUCTURE OF THIS BOOK 42
chapter one: individual security and national security 49
INDIVIDUAL SECURITY AS A SOCIETAL PROBLEM 49
INDIVIDUAL SECURITY AND THE TWO FACES OF THE STATE 52
THE STATE AS A SOURCE OF THREAT 55
CONCLUSIONS: INDIVIDUAL SECURITY AND NATIONAL SECURITY 59
chapter two: national security and the nature of the state 65
IDENTIFYING THE STATE AS AN OBJECT OF SECURITY 65
THE IDEA OF THE STATE 74
THE INSTITUTIONS OF THE STATE 83
THE PHYSICAL BASE OF THE STATE 88
CONCLUSIONS: WEAK AND STRONG STATES 92
chapter three: national insecurity: threats and vulnerabilities 104
THREATS AND VULNERABILITIES 104
TYPES OF THREAT BY SECTOR 107
THE OPERATION OF THREATS 119
CONCLUSIONS: THE AMBIGUITY OF THREATS 124
chapter four: security and the international political system 128
THE NATURE OF THE INTERNATIONAL ANARCHY 128
THE CHARACTER OF STATES 133
THE USES AND LIMITATIONS OF SYSTEM STRUCTURE IN SECURITY ANALYSIS 138
INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY 142
CONCLUSIONS: ANARCHY AND SECURITY 148
chapter five: regional security 157
FILLING THE GAP BETWEEN STATE AND SYSTEM LEVELS: SECURITY COMPLEXES 157
A BRIEF HISTORY OF REGIONAL SECURITY 168
SECURITY COMPLEXES AS STRUCTURES: THE PROCESSES AND OUTCOMES OF CHANGE 173
CONCLUSIONS: SECURITY COMPLEXES AND POLICY ANALYSIS 182
chapter six: economic security 189
THE NATURE OF THE INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL ECONOMY 189
THE IDEA OF ECONOMIC SECURITY 192
ECONOMIC SECURITY AND THE STATE 197
ECONOMIC SECURITY AND THE INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM 202
CONCLUSIONS: PROSPECTS FOR THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF A MATURE ANARCHY 210
chapter seven: the defence dilemma 217
THE DEFENCE DILEMMA DEFINED 218
THE HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE DEFENCE DILEMMA 221
THE DURABILITY OF THE DEFENCE DILEMMA 228
CONCLUSIONS: THE DEFENCE DILEMMA AND SECURITY 230
chapter eight: the power-security dilemma 234
THE POWER AND SECURITY STRUGGLES 234
REVISIONISM VERSUS STATUS QUO 237
THE NATURE OF REVISIONISM 241
THE MILITARY FACTOR 246
CONCLUSIONS: CAN THE POWER-SECURITY DILEMMA BE RESOLVED? 252
chapter nine: national and international security: the policy problem 258
LOGICAL PROBLEMS 259
PERCEPTUAL PROBLEMS 269
POLITICAL PROBLEMS 272
CONCLUSIONS: POLICY-MAKING AS PART OF THE NATIONAL SECURITY PROBLEM 277
chapter ten: concluding thoughts on international security studies 283
OVERVIEW: THE AGENDA OF SECURITY 283
REASONS FOR ADOPTING, AND CONSEQUENCES OF, A BROAD INTERPRETATION OF SECURITY 287
IMPLICATIONS FOR POLICY 291