International Security: A Very Short Introduction

Description

Very Short Introductions have proven to be extremely popular with general readers, as well as undergraduates and their lecturers.

The subject of international security is never out of the headlines.

The subjects of war and peace, military strategy, the proliferation of nuclear weapons and revisionist states remain central to the discussion, but burgeoning concerns such as climate change, migration, poverty, health, and international terrorism have complicated the field. So what really matters? The traditional prioritization of state security or the security needs of individuals, humanity, and the biosphere? And where do the problems lie? Are states themselves as much a part of the problem as the solution for people’s security needs? With globalization, the international security environment has become more interdependent than ever before with the establishment of complex networks that make responding to and managing security challenges increasingly difficult, but increasingly necessary.

This Very Short Introduction shows that international security is both vibrant and deeply contested, with stakeholders frequently in disagreement over questions of priority and approach. Christopher S. Browning outlines the nature of the key debates about contemporary international security challenges, and discusses the inherent difficulties that exist in tackling them. He also asks to what extent such debates are infused with questions of power, politics, justice, morality, and responsibility.

Key Features

• Uses a broad range of international examples to illustrate concepts
• Focuses on contemporary security developments and arguments
• Highlights the politically contested and ethical nature of all the international security debates

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. A contested nature
3. The problem of war
4. The United Nations
5. The changing nature of armed conflict
6. Human security and development
7. Resources, climate change, and capitalism
8. Saviours or sinners?
9. The politics of fear and control

About the Series

Oxford’s Very Short Introductions series offers concise and original introductions to a wide range of subjects – from Public Health to Buddhist Ethics, Soft Matter to Classics, and Art History to Globalization. Each volume provides an authoritative and engaging assessment of a concept, field, or body of work, drawing out the central ideas, themes, and approaches. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, new insights, and enthusiasm to make often challenging topics highly readable to develop your core knowledge. With over 700 titles and many more in development, as well as regularly updated new editions, the series is constantly evolving to reflect a contemporary readership. Whatever your area of study, whatever the topic that fascinates you, the series is an indispensable and accessible guide that will enrich your understanding.

Reviews

“The Very Short Introductions range from worth reading to wonderfully appealing… Much of the pleasure to be found in them is the bedrock one of good nonfiction: facts… They appeal to us because the world is vast and strange, because everywhere we look, from the firefly flashing in the darkness to Auden’s elegy for Yeats, there is something to provoke our curiosity, some sliver of existence that we want to understand.” – New Yorker Magazine

“I have a pile of the Short Introductions and they are uniformly excellent: an ideal way to dip your toe in a topic and, being relatively cheap, allow you to decide whether invest in more expensive tomes. They’re well written by leaders in their area, thought-provoking and insightful.” – Mark Greener, Fortean Times

“I absolutely LOVE the VSI series. It’s just so well produced – excellent writing and interesting topics. Just a superb overall series to dive into.” – Grrl Scientist, The Guardian

“I love the Very Short Introduction Series as should everyone who is interested in the history of ideas. They manage to straddle that difficult line between making the complex accessible without ever compromising on quality. The sheer range of subjects covered make the series an invaluable asset for anyone trying to understand the development of human thought. They are a must-go-to gateway for those of us keen to know more but needing a steer as to where to start.” – Claire Fox, Director, Institute of Ideas

“The Oxford University Press VSI series… is to non-fiction what Penguin Books have always been for literature.” – Jim Cullen, History News Network

“Expert, concise but far from bland, Oxford’s Very Short Introductions series must rank by now as a thinking reader’s Wikipedia” – Boyd Tonkin, The Independent

“Great price, beautifully designed and produced, authoritative content and inviting subjects covered – if only all publishing hit these heights.” – The Bookseller

“a fascinating series of ‘all you need to know’ introductions by experts to complex topics.” – The Times

“The Very Short Introductions are fantastically informative books…” – Big Issue in the North

“I am addicted to this series of pocket-portable introductory lectures.” – Guardian Review

“These Very Short Introductions have a style and integrity all of their own.” – Scotsman

“A thoroughly good idea. Snappy, small format … stylish design … perfect to pop in your pocket for spare moments” – The Times

“A series of instantly accessible handbooks that neither shame our ignorance nor frighten us with their erudition. All are to be applauded.” – Oxford Times

“If there’s anything you ever wanted to know more about … grab yourself one of these little beauties.” – Sarky Cutt, Greenwich University

“These perfect books form a solid grounding in various subjects, stretching from the Bible and the Koran, to Social and Cultural Anthropology … interesting, informative and concise, they combine to make a beautiful set. They will broaden your studies, widen your knowledge and maybe give you a chance of winning those pub quizzes once in a while!” – The Beaver, LSE

“Would make a useful addition to any bookshelf, and their size makes them ideal for carrying around” – Humanist Philosophers Group

“Attractively packaged and, very importantly these days… attractively priced. They are the sort of books that can be read in a couple of evenings but repay further study.” – The Philosophers Review

“Always invigorating” – Independent on Sunday

Author Biography

Christopher S. Browning, Associate Professor of International Security, University of Warwick

Christopher S. Browning is Associate Professor of International Security at the University of Warwick. He has published widely on his core research interests of identity politics, critical approaches to security and critical geopolitics and has a particular interest in the politics of civilisations, the performance of nationhood and the constitution of security communities in the Nordic region, Europe and the West. His most recent books include: Constructivism, Narrative and Foreign Policy Analysis: A Case Study of Finland (2008) and The Struggle for the West: A Divided and Contested Legacy (2010).