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Contemporary Security Studies Benjamin Zala
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University of Birmingham and Oxford Research Group , UK Published online: 08 Dec 2010.
Benjamin Zala (2010) Contemporary Security Studies, Medicine, Medi cine, To cite this article: arti cle: Benjamin Conflict and Survival, 26:4, 314-315, DOI: 10.1080/13623699.2010.535393 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1 rg/10.1080/13623699.201 3623699.2010.535393 0.535393 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.o
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Medicine, Conflict and Survival Vol. 26, No. 4, October–December 2010, 314–319
BOOK REVIEWS
Contemporary Security Studies 2nd edition, by Alan Collins, editor, Oxford & New York: Oxford University Press, 2010, 542pp., £26.99 (paperback), ISBN 978-0-19-954885-9.
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Shiel ield d of Achil Achilles les, Philip In clos closin ing g his his monum monumen enta tall stud study y of 20 2002 02,, The Sh Philip Bobbitt declared, ‘We are entering a fearful time, a time that will call on all our resources, moral as well as intellectual and material’.* Without deferring to alarmism and scare-mongering there is, nevertheless, mounting evidence that we are entering a period of profound insecurity – a truly fearful time. The extrem extremee limits limits of indust industria rializ lized ed growth growth,, the margin marginali alizat zation ion of the ‘majority world’ and militarized responses to conflict are converging in an international system that has never been as connected and interdependent as it is toda today. y. If Bobb Bobbit ittt is righ rightt and and such such time timess call call on our our inte intell llec ectu tual al reso resour urce cess like like neve neverr befo before re,, then then the the seco second nd edit editio ion n of Al Alan an Coll Collin ins’ s’ impressive textbook on security studies could not be timelier. In fact, the book is not so much a primer on studying the provision of insecurity. security as the careful analysis of the causes and manifestations of insecurity As in the previous edition, Collins has divided the book into three sections: approaches to security, deepening and broadening security, security, and traditional and non-traditional security. Within this structure he has gathered an impressive array of talented scholars to provide introductions to each topic, a summary of the main controversies and debates that characterize the academic literature as well as the popular discourse and a set of study questions and suggestions for further reading. Seven new chapters have been added to this edition across the three three sectio sections. ns. Par Partic ticul ularl arly y welcom welcomee are the additi additions ons of Chri Christi stine ne Ag Agius ius’’ theo theore reti tica call chap chapte terr on soci social al cons constr truc ucti tivi vism sm,, Nana Nana Poku Poku’s ’s chap chapte terr on globaliz globalizatio ation, n, developme development nt and security security (which (which works works well to complem complement ent Pauline Kerr’s existing chapter on human security), and a specific chapter on energy security by Sam Raphael and Doug Stokes. Other standout contributions which rise to Bobbitt’s challenge include Jon Barnett’s insightful chapter on environmental security and Paul Rogers’ discussion of the evolution of the sub-discipline of peace studies. Barnett manage managess to navigat navigatee the concep conceptua tuall debate debatess involve involved d in taking taking enviro environnmental mental str stress esses es and degrad degradati ation on seriou seriously sly as a securi security ty iss issue, ue, whilst whilst sti still ll *Bobbitt, P., The Shield of Achilles: War, Peace and the Course of History. London: Allen Lane; 2002: 822. ISSN 1362-3699 print/ISSN 1743-9396 online DOI: 10.1080/13623699.2010.535393 http://www.informaworld.com
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presenting the reader with a clear and up to date summary of the position of environmental security in mainstream political debates. His closing line is part partic icul ular arly ly astu astute te:: ‘the ‘the rele releva vanc ncee of envi enviro ronm nmen enta tall secu securi rity ty wi will ll most most prob probab ably ly incr increa ease se unti untill such such time time as trul truly y comm common on and and coop cooper erat ativ ivee approaches implement serious reforms to achieve forms of social organization tion that that are are ecol ecolog ogic ical ally ly sust sustai aina nabl ble’ e’ (p. (p. 23 237) 7).. Roge Rogers rs stri strike kess the the righ rightt balance between disciplinary history (with an excellent section on the ‘war on peace studies’ of the 1980s) and an engagement with some of the most pressing security challenges in what he describes as a ‘polarized, constrained, and and poten potenti tial ally ly frag fragil ilee and and unst unstab able le worl world’ d’ (p.8 (p.81) 1) that that he argue arguess peac peacee studies can help to address. The final chapter from Barry Buzan and Ole Wæver provides a level of analytical depth not often seen in an introductory textbook, and reaches some interesting conclusions as to the future of what they they char charac acter teriz izee as the the separ separat atee impe imperat rativ ives es wi with thin in secu securi rity ty stud studie iess of theory production and practical problem solving. In a book of this size there will always be chapters which are not as strong as others, and even in one of such wide scope there are additional issues which could be covered. A future edition could include a chapter on the the nasc nascen entt conc concep eptt of ‘sus ‘susta tain inabl ablee secu securi rity ty’’ bein being g deve develo lope ped, d, not not by academics but instead in a number of think tanks and NGOs. Similarly a chapte chapterr on multil multilate ateral ral approac approaches hes to securit security y (cover (covering ing more more than than just just theoretical discussions of collective security to include security communities and security regimes) would make a useful addition. Contemporary Security Studies stands On the whole, this new edition of Contemporary as one of the best, if not the best introductions to the study of insecurity and ways of theorizing about, as well as developing policies to address, the major security challenges facing humanity. We are entering an age which, whilst being fearful and profoundly insecure, need not be as destructive as our capabilities will allow. The kind of careful and considered analysis that this book book puts puts forw forwar ard d can can be used used as a basi basiss for for both both unde unders rsta tand ndin ing g our our predicament and crafting appropriate responses to it. Benjamin Zala University of Birmingham and Oxford Research Group, UK
[email protected] 2010, Benjamin Zala
Zaryab ab Iqbal Iqbal,, Stan Stanfo ford, rd, Stan Stanfo ford rd War War and and the the Heal Health th of Nati Nation onss, by Zary Univ Univer ersi sity ty pres press, s, 20 2010 10,, 18 189p 9pp. p.,, (inc (incl. l. inde index) x),, $4 $45 5 (har (hardb dbac ack) k),, ISBN ISBN:: 978-0-8047-5881-9. In her her book book Wa Zaryab b Iqba Iqbal, l, As Assi sist stan antt Warr an and d the the Heal Health th of Na Nati tion onss , Zarya Professor of Political Science at Pennsylvania State University, focuses on
