The reconstruction of human security through the framework of security-as-emancipation

Abstract

This thesis provides a critical examination of Human Security through the framework of security-as-emancipation. Given the novelty and prominence of Human Security after the Cold War, it is argued that Human Security has yet to realize the promise of being human-centric toward individual agency and change. Accordingly, the subject matter of the thesis is to critically re-engage with the unfulfilled promise of Human Security. In this context, through comparing different perspectives offered by critical security studies, the thesis argues that the framework of security-as-emancipation paves the way for rethinking the promise of Human Security toward the reconstruction of Human Security by way of (1) iv problematizing contradictions within Human Security and (2) transforming Human Security into an emancipatory Human Security perspective. The problematization part lays bare the contradictory co-existence of both statecentrism and market-centrism within HS. Both state-centrism and marketcentrism necessitates re-conceiving the role of the state as well the role of the market. In accordance with the contradictory aspects, the reconstruction of Human Security puts forward a novel stance on both political community in terms of the role of the state and political economy in terms of the role of the market. In conjunction with this, the thesis asserts that an emancipatory Human Security perspective could realize the promise of being human-centric toward individual agency and just change.