Collaboratory in Critical Security Methods
The International Collaboratory on Critical Methods in Security Studies is an ESRC funded project (RES-810-21-0072)
Method 2: Mapping
"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
Schouten (2010) Security as controversy: privatizing security inside global security assemblages
I presented this paper at the 2010 ISA conference. I think it ties into many of the collaboratory's questions in an exploratory fashion. Based on the case of the controversy arising over airport security at Amsterdam Airport after the terrorist attack Christmas 2009, I ask, how ANT and Foucaultian approaches could clarify how security comes into being not only as a 'social construct' across public and private actors, but also through material assemblages. Very much work in progress, comments welcome. It ties into the 'securing mobility' theme as well as method 2.
This paper aims at contributing to a better understanding of how security gets produced by studying the way in which private security actors try to settle the controversy over what security is and how it is to be attained in the case of airport security at Amsterdam Airport. Whereas private security companies by law have neither more rights than normal citizens nor the right to decide upon
Bonelli and Bigo (2005) Mapping the European Union field of the professionals of security, A methodological note on the problematique
Bonelli, Laurent and Bigo, Didier (2005), "Mapping the European Union field of the professionals of security, A methodological note on the problematique" Synthesis report of two seminars organized at Sciences Po Paris (France) on October 10, 2005 and November 9, 2005.
The core of the investigation is to assess the impact of antiterrorist activities and legislation after 2001 in the European Union on struggle against crime, corruption, money laundering, and also on other illegal activities, including migration.
Bigo et al (2007) Mapping the Field of EU Internal Security Agencies
Bigo, Didier; Bondotti, Philippe; Bonelli, Laurent and Olsson, Christian (2007), "Mapping the Field of EU Internal Security Agencies". Paper produced for the Changing Landscape of European Liberty and Security (CHALLENGE) Project of the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS)
This study is the result of a collective endeavour aiming at documenting, analysing, and understanding the dynamics underlying the European field of security. It has been constituted by the whole of the French Team (WP2) of the CHALLENGE project. The results presented in this study allow for preliminary conclusions regarding the overall processes underlying the European field of professionals of security. It also provides, along with four deliverables already produced with substantial empirical details concerning the field’s main agencies and institutions.