This course will familiarize students with the most important theoretical and methodological approaches in this subfield. A particular focus is on how to apply the different theories to current security issues. By completing the course, students should be able to understand the competing definitions and theories of security and to apply them to security issues in an academically solid way.
Lernziel
The aim of the course is to promote a critical engagement with a wide range of empirical and theoretical literature in critical security studies. We will also apply this theoretical material to contemporary developments in world politics. Students will practice through a series of exercises to come up with a 'puzzle'(what is interesting, what should be studied?) and a research question, will reflect on how a particular theory could be applied (which concepts and in which way?), will state what method they would use and why and how they would observe the concepts they are investigating. They will also have to reflect on the case(s) they would select and on what expectations they have with regards to their findings.
