Critical theory

Abstract

In this chapter, students will learn about the critical approach to security studies which draws on the critical theory of Italian political theorist Antonio Gramsci and the Frankfurt School. This approach is also known as the ‘Aberystwyth School’ of security studies. The chapter begins by tracing the origins of critical security studies. It then explores the key concepts of security studies that have been inspired by critical theory, using empirical illustrations from regions such as the Middle East and the Euro-Mediterranean, and issues such as human mobility, nuclear weapons, and ‘state failure’.