Security Studies

Book excerpt: Security Studies is the most comprehensive textbook available on security studies. It gives students a detailed overview of the major theoretical approaches, key themes and most significant issues within security studies. Part 1 explores the main theoretical approaches currently used within the field from realism to international political sociology. Part 2 explains the central concepts underpinning contemporary debates from the security dilemma to terrorism. Part 3 presents an overview of the institutional security architecture currently influencing world politics using international, regional and global levels of analysis. Part 4 examines some of the key contemporary challenges to global security from the arms trade to energy security. Part 5 discusses the future of security. Security Studies provides a valuable teaching tool for undergraduates and MA students by collecting these related strands of the field together into a single coherent textbook.