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Journal articles

"Security Practices" in Robert A DENEMARK (ed.) International Studies Encyclopedia Online. Blackwell Publishing, 2010. Blackwell Reference Online. 18 March 2010

A large part of the international relations (IR) literature, which claims to be pragmatist, positivist, and realist, in fact ignores the diversity of practices labeled as security and is highly idealist in the neo-platonic sense of the word. They believe in capturing the essence of the world through words. Their search for a definition of security (as good) opposed to insecurity (as bad) is always normative and often accepts the position of the dominant speaker. The study of security is done in the interest of someone. The confusion between security, state national interest, and reason of state repeatedly structures the narrative. The contribution of scholars coming from sociology, criminology, and history is largely ignored. Security is reduced to an international relations problem disconnected from other bodies of knowledge. This is an error that we try to correct in this essay

Bussolini (2010) 'What is a dipositive?'

This article investigates Foucault's use of the term 'dipositif' and argues that the distinction between 'appareil' and 'dispositif' is in fact an important one that has been obscured by the use of the term 'apparatus' in english translations and discussions.

The distinct French and Italian concepts of appareil/apparato and dispositif/ dispositivo have frequently been rendered the same way as ‚apparatus‛ in English. This pre- sents a double problem since it collapses distinct conceptual lineages from the home languages and produces a false identity in English.

Rose (1997) Situating knowledges: positionality, reflexivities and other tactics

This article addresses the discussion, particularly prominent among feminist geograph- ers, of reflexivity as a strategy for marking geographical knowledges as situated. It argues that, if the aim of feminist and other critical geographies is to acknowledge their partiality, then the particular form of reflexivity advocated needs careful consideration. Feminist geographers most often recommend a kind of reflexivity that aims, even if only ideally, at a full understanding of the researcher, the researched and the research context. The article begins with the author's failure at that kind of reflexivity, and that particular reflexivity is then discussed and described as `transparent' in its ambitious claims to comprehensive knowledge. The article then goes on to explore critiques of transparent reflexivity, many of which have been made by feminist geographers themselves. The article concludes by suggesting that some recent discussions of the uncertainties of research practice offer another model of feminist reflexivity that may succeed more effectively in questioning the researcher's practice of knowledge production.

Chouliaraki (2008) The symbolic power of transnational media : Managing the visibility of suffering

Explicitly theorizes the link between circulation and image content, providing a somewhat critical perspective on the media on which visual artefacts depend.

This article explores systematic patterns in the visibility of suffering in satellite
news, from the footage of 11 September 2001 to citizen-generated content from
the 2007 anti-government demonstrations in Myanmar (Burma), so as to illustrate
the role of transnational media as agents of symbolic power. It argues that
the symbolic power of transnational broadcasting consists primarily in its capacity
to manage the visibility of suffering so as to reproduce the moral deficiencies of

Campbell (2003) Cultural governance and pictoral resistance

Discusses the critical spaces presented in images, and argues for the need of such critical visuality to not make itself an elite project, remaining up to speed with visuality deployed in the interest of popular governance and conduct of war.

Greismann (1977) Terrorism and social meanings

Greismann, H.C. "Social Meanings of Terrorism: Reification, Violence, and Social Control." Contemporary crises 1 (1977): 303–18.

Article that critically discusses the social construction of terrorism at a time when critical reflections on the nature of terrorism have been sparse. Interessting link between power, elites and social construction processes.

La Caze (2011) 'Terrorism and Trauma'

La Caze, Marguerite. "Terrorism and Trauma: Negotiating Derridean "Autoimmunity"." Philosophy & Social Criticism 37, no. 5 (2011): 605-19.

Laclau (2005) "On "Real" And "Absolute Enemies"

Laclau, Ernesto. "On "Real" And "Absolute Enemies"." The New Cenntenial Review 5, no. 1 (2005): 1-12.

Links terrorism and Carl Schmitt's definition of enemies.

Harding (1987) The Method Question

Harding, Sandra (1987) 'The Method Question', Hypatia vol. 2(3): 19-35.

A continuing concern of many feminists and non-feminists alike has been to identify a distinctive feminist method of inquiry. This essay argues that this method question is misguided and should be abandoned. In doing so it takes up the distinctions between and relationships among methods, methodologies and epistemologies; proposes that the concern to identify sources of the power of feminist analyses motivates the method question; and suggests how to pursue this project.

Austrin and Fransworth (2005) Hybrid genres: fieldwork, detection and the method of Bruno Latour

Austrin, Terry and Farnsworth, John (2005) 'Hybrid genres: fieldwork, detection and the method of Bruno Latour', Qualitative Research vol. 5(2): 147-165.

This article explores tensions in the study of innovation, the practice of fieldwork and the narratives these produce, particularly as represented in the work of Latour. It argues that Latour’s ethnographic studies of science and technology parody a variety of sociological and literary genres, particularly detective fiction, and that he uses this literary device as a way of pinpointing unexpected links between fictional and sociological modes of investigation.