What do International Relations Academics think about Security Threats?
April 3, 2017 3:46 AM   Subscribe

So I emailed 79 academic colleagues in politics and international relations departments across the world, all of whom had published work on security, most of whom offered courses on security at their institutions. I received responses from the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Turkey, Germany, Switzerland, Finland, Denmark and South Africa. Ultimately, 59 responded. There were three key ‘findings’ of this exercise.
posted by infini (25 comments total) 21 users marked this as a favorite
 
In a different life, this - critical security studies - was my field, or was going to be. Both Matt McDonald and Chris Browning taught me on my masters. It's the most fascinating topic.

I want that life back.
posted by Dysk at 4:42 AM on April 3, 2017 [5 favorites]


For those who want spoilers, the top four global security threats according to IR academics appear to be:

i) Climate Change
ii) Inequality and Poverty
iii) Nationalism
iv) Donald Trump

Sounds about right to me.
posted by Alex404 at 4:55 AM on April 3, 2017 [22 favorites]


IV is a subset of III
posted by sammyo at 5:09 AM on April 3, 2017 [9 favorites]


...and II.
posted by leotrotsky at 5:22 AM on April 3, 2017 [7 favorites]


Other way round - ii and iii are a subset of iv, that is to say, that is to say, Trump as president is made of nationalism and poverty, both of which are in turn much bigger than Trump, and predate him.
posted by Dysk at 5:26 AM on April 3, 2017


In the interest of the decidedly unscientific nature of this study, I just emailed myself inquiring about my top personal security threats and surprisingly, they jibe with the articles findings almost exactly.

I. Climate Change
We got two and a half feet of snow about a week ago, in late March mind you, and even though New York City was threatened, they only got a couple of inches, so my tiny hamlet upstate never made the news. Still, if my neighbor had not been generous enough to loan me his ancient snowblower, I’m pretty sure I’d be dead right now.

II. Inequality & Poverty
It’s true, I’m broke. As I age it seems my economic opportunities are dwindling. My wife makes much more money than I do, so she kinda gets to run the show around here. This inequality makes me a bit of a grumpy gus, and while it doesn’t threaten my physical security, it’s not great for my joie de vivre.

III. Nationalism
Again, if my neighbor had not loaned me his snowblower, I’d be dead. Of course, he still has the post-hole diggers I lent him last summer, but detente seems to be working so far. However, if we go all North Korea/South Korea, things could get ugly.

IV. Trump
Seriously. Every time I see his name in print my blood pressure skyrockets. If I have to look at another picture of him on the golf course, I’m likely to go apoplectic and have a stroke. I much preferred it when thieves and sexual predators practiced in secret, not braying their crimes in the public forum, much less being voted in as President of the United States. Somebody please fix this.
posted by valkane at 6:06 AM on April 3, 2017 [5 favorites]


i) Climate Change
ii) Inequality and Poverty
iii) Nationalism
iv) Donald Trump


I see Trump as an outcome of II and III, but since he also appears to be doing all he can to exacerbate both of those issues (as well as climate change, weirdly), I'm ok with putting him on the list.
posted by Dip Flash at 6:14 AM on April 3, 2017


This is the most data I've seen a critical security studies scholar collect. I kid, but the vagueness of the question invites a lot of variation in the responses based on how it is interpreted, which you rarely want in opinion surveys.

The title should be 'What do Critical Security Studies Academics think about Security Threats?" since there is a huge division between (largely American) security studies and the more continental critical IR approach. This lends some light into why the answers are sometimes broad--for the latter, security is a very broad and elastic term so its no wonder the answer to these questions sound a lot like the answer to the question: "What are political things you don't like".
posted by MisantropicPainforest at 6:42 AM on April 3, 2017



Other way round - ii and iii are a subset of iv,...


Which came first, the alt-right shock jock chicken or the fascist racist egg?
posted by Reasonably Everything Happens at 7:02 AM on April 3, 2017 [1 favorite]


The methodology sort of destroys the value of the inputs. From experts you look for something crisply incisive and original, whereas clumping it all like this gives you a vague consensual view you could have got from any chance gathering of the sneering liberal elite. ;)

That said, poverty's a funny one: global poverty has actually been falling for some time, hasn't it?
posted by Segundus at 7:08 AM on April 3, 2017


Surprisingly enough, despite that vagueness, everyone seemingly gave him what he wanted. There's less room for interpretation with "global security" than there is with national security or security (not further specified). "Global" sets some limits on the answers to the questions of whose security you're discussing, for whom, against whom - none of these can be too specific, without ceasing to be global. So you get a load of answers relating to (perceived) threats to international stability, because that is the closest estimation to a global concern.

Now granted, a Realist IR theorist of the old school might not think to step beyond themselves with regard to what constitutes a global concern (and might well have answered "communism" to the same question posed four decades ago as a result, or "terrorism" or "Islamism" today, not recognising these as threats to the security of themselves against others - on a global scale - rather than global threats as such). But to me, that's failing to engage the question properly, and failing to separate or acknowledge an intellectual/academic position aside from your own or your nation's interests.
posted by Dysk at 7:08 AM on April 3, 2017 [2 favorites]


I don't think there's a Realist in the world who would answer "terrorism" or "Islamism" to this question.
posted by MisantropicPainforest at 7:13 AM on April 3, 2017


I've met several, including IR professors, but okay.
posted by Dysk at 7:16 AM on April 3, 2017 [1 favorite]


Granted however, it was a few years ago, in the more immediately post-9/11 world, as it were.
posted by Dysk at 7:20 AM on April 3, 2017


That said, poverty's a funny one: global poverty has actually been falling for some time, hasn't it?

It has. Both global poverty and inequality between countries has decreased.
posted by MisantropicPainforest at 7:36 AM on April 3, 2017


The first key finding of the survey was that academics are woeful at following instructions.

Having had to survey academics with moderate frequency, this hits a nerve.
posted by GenjiandProust at 7:37 AM on April 3, 2017 [1 favorite]


That's unnerving, I am about to try and run my first survey of academics.
posted by biffa at 8:13 AM on April 3, 2017 [1 favorite]


In the long run the biggest threat to global security is entropy. In the slightly less long run the biggest threat is solar hydrogen exhaustion.
posted by TedW at 8:28 AM on April 3, 2017 [3 favorites]


"In a particularly memorable response, one respondent indicated that on the basis of his own assessment and candid conversations with foreign policy officials, the largest present global security threat was to be found in the form of ‘an ignorant, narcissistic, incompetent, misogynistic, racist, white supremacist-enabling, diplomatically naive, Putin-obsessed bore who has no idea what he is doing called Trump’."
posted by the Real Dan at 9:52 AM on April 3, 2017 [6 favorites]


Really, Dan, the only reason I was moved to FPP it.
posted by infini at 10:32 AM on April 3, 2017


Honestly, I had been expecting an American President to be elected who was ‘ ignorant, narcissistic, incompetent, misogynistic, racist... who has no idea what he is doing ' for some years and Trump was barely in the Top 10 candidates behind several FoxNews anchors, talk radio hosts, dot-com moguls and WWE Fake Westlers. It's a tragic flaw in the "American Culture" that creates and celebrates such dangerous buffoons that is one of the World's Greatest Threats.
posted by oneswellfoop at 11:33 AM on April 3, 2017 [1 favorite]


My wife makes much more money than I do, so she kinda gets to run the show around here. This inequality makes me a bit of a grumpy gus, and while it doesn’t threaten my physical security, it’s not great for my joie de vivre.

Valkane, Ima gonna try not to jump on you, but this statement kinda jacked my jaw. Maybe you can possibly relate to women making less than their husbands, or women currently staying at home (for the sake of the kiddos, perhaps?) or women in this misogynistic time who are expected to stay at home and be good little submissive wives?

I'm 60 mumble mumble, and grew up with the expectation that I would pop out those Catholic sprouts and be a stay at home good little submissive wife. Husband grew up Mormon with the same expectations, and even though we both had lapsed before we met, those attitudes follow you. Especially if you're male, IMO. Why would you want to let go of your patriarchy? It's a damn good gig, if you've got it. Most of the time I followed the party line, except for the in-laws expecting us to keep having kids even though DH finally realized we'd reached the end, and I hadn't even wanted the fourth. Raising four kids flying right above the poverty line and being pressured to have more?

It fuckin' sucked in my marriage not to have equality and/or parity, especially in the financial sphere. But that's a woman's lot in life, right?

If your wife takes into consideration your input on financial matters, and if you have ANY money that you can choose to spend as you will, please rethink your lack of joie de vivre.



Back on track with the post, the issue of inequality and poverty ain't gonna get any better with The Trumper in office. DH and I are retired, and we're certainly above the 2015 poverty level of $14,342 for 2 people age 65 (if you average our ages) It still feels like we're robbing Peter to give Paul his due, and there's a ton of outstanding medical bills even though we have decent insurance. (How the FUCK do people do it?--Die, I guess.) If we had the medical and mortgage paid off, we'd feel pretty solid. But at this age, medical could eat us up even if the mortgage were paid. It should have been paid 20 years ago, but that's what kept us going with the kids. I know I'm darn lucky with what I've got, but both my husband and I sure feel like we were screwed out of the American Dream.


That said, poverty's a funny one: global poverty has actually been falling for some time, hasn't it?
It has. Both global poverty and inequality between countries has decreased.


Actual poverty is a funny one, too. I'm pretty sure when someone is starving to death watching their little ones dying, they most likely don't have the energy to get angry and start rattling the cage. But when there's a bit more education, and access to information, and the energy to make comparisons and realize that there are people with gold toilets, people who waste food, people who have contempt for what you are and expect you to suck up your lot in life, then a body living in poverty and inequality starts to get testy. You might say it significantly affects their joie de vivre.
posted by BlueHorse at 1:12 PM on April 3, 2017 [6 favorites]


*looks up at blueHorse gratefully*

Will return with a proper reply, but thank you from the bottom of my heart for your comment.
posted by infini at 12:34 AM on April 4, 2017


I read his comment as ironic. Talking about neighborliness as nationalism?

I'm just as against the patriarchy but I don't think that comment was intented to be sexist. This person did not read the ironic sexism thread is my guess.
posted by thebotanyofsouls at 6:48 PM on April 4, 2017


Irony is such a function of tone and pure text tends to strip out so much of it that this can be interpreted either way.

My appreciation of BlueHorse's comments had to do much with their insightful observations on inequality and income.

Yes, you do need your belly full before you can start lifting your head high - here, Maslow's often debunked hierarchy does make a difference.

You can see and hear it in the voices coming out of emerging economies in Africa viz., Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Cote D'Ivoire, Senegal, and Cameroon, just for instance.
posted by infini at 3:10 AM on April 5, 2017 [1 favorite]


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