Course leader: Alkida Lushaj

Home Institution: University of New York Tirana

Course Overview

The course will attempt to provide the students with a wide range of issues in the discipline within the context of Security Studies. The discussions will involve an interpretation of security matters from the perspective of a variety of IR Schools, and will shed some light upon such issues as international anarchy, the importance of power and material factors in establishing the relations between the states (or agents), as opposed to the possibility of cooperation, the importance of institutions, or social relations fostered due to impact of identity, norms and/or cultural matters. We shall try to give enough space to a variety of interpretations regarding security and how different approaches understand major events that have occurred in the international community.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this project, students should have a critical and informed understanding and ability related to the following: state security, human security, environmental security, and culture issues related to security. They will be addressed in the course of this semester in an effort to analyze the impact of such issues in the field and find out if better choices could be made to maintain security and peace in the world. The search for security is already at the top of the agenda in public policymaking as well as dominating countless private lives. Can academic security studies respond to this predictably dangerous future? How should we think about security in his fractious world? What is real? How reliable is our knowledge? What can we do? These and other related questions will be explored in the course. In the multi-polar world of today, the question of security presents a real challenge, and students need to develop the necessary analytical and critical tools to respond to these challenges and be able to assess risks and opportunities in a rapidly changing environment.

1. Students shall have a critical and informed understanding and ability related to state security, human security, environmental security, and culture issues
2. Become cognizant of policy choices and strategies that could be made to maintain security at the regional or global level
3. Understand challenges poses by a multi-polar world order to security
4. Assess risks and opportunities in a rapidly changing environment

Course Content:

1. Security Studies in International Relations
2. The Traditional Routes to Security: Realism and Liberalism
3. Constructivism: Norms, Identities and Narratives
4. Feminist Security Studies
5. The Broader Agenda of Security Military Security
6. Non-military Security – Environmental Security
7. Economic Security
8. Institutions and Security – NATO
9. Institutions and Security- UN & Regional Security Organization
10. The Future of National Security
11. Final Exam

Instructional Method

Lecture is a valuable part of a teacher's instructional repertoire.

Different methods such as lectures, seminars, interactive instruction, group and individual work; group discussion; debates and case studies will be used during the lesson with the aim to create learning environments and to specify the nature of the activity in which the professor and student will be involved during the lesson.

While particular methods are often associated with certain strategies, some methods may be found within a variety of strategies.

Required Course Materials

Textbooks	Author, Year, Title, Publisher
Compulsory	1.    Buzan, Barry & Lene Hansen. 2009. The Evolution of International Security Studies. New York. Cambridge University Press. 2.    Peter Hough, Shahin Malik, Andrew Moran & Bruce Pilbeam. 2015. International Security Studies – Theory and Practice. New York. Routledge. 3.    Michael Sheehan. 2005. International Security – An analytical Survey. Lynne Rienner. 4.    Paul D. Williams. 2013. Security Studies An Introduction. Routlege.
Recommended	1.    Alan Collins. 2007. Contemporary security studies. Oxford University Press. Fierke, K.M. 2007. Critical Approaches to International Security. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press. Kaldor, Mary. 2007. Human Security: Reflections on Globalization and Intervention. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press.

 

Assessment

In order to engage in fruitful discussions, students should carefully read the assigned works before each session. This class/course will only achieve its purpose if students learn to actively analyze the texts and discuss the work in an informed spirit.  

Course requirements and evaluation of performance:

1. One presentation equal 15% of the final grade;
2. A final exam, equal to 55%;
3. Class presence, equal to 20%; and
4. Active participation, equal to 10%.

Assessment criteria	Percentage	Letter Grade	Quality Points
	90 – 100	A	4.00
	85 – 89	A-	3.67
	80 – 84	B+	3.33
	70 – 79	B	3.00
	65 – 69	B-	2.67
	60 – 64	C+	2.33
	50 – 59	C	2.00
	45 – 49	C-	1.67
	40 – 44	D+	1.33
	35 – 39	D	1.00
	0 – 34	F	0.00

 

General Requirements:

Attendance & Punctuality: Please note that absence is consequential to your performance (not more than three absences are allowed). More than three unexcused absences will result in your overall grade being decreased by 20%. Attendance in UNYT classes is mandatory. Only the Record’s Office will excuse an absence.

Participation: The grade for participation will be broadly defined to include participation in all in-class activities, including discussions and assignments.

Conduct: Students are expected to behave in class with civility and appropriate etiquette toward professors and one another. Please set your cell phones on silent before class begins and refrain from using them until the class is over.

Email Communication: It is absolutely necessary for the professor to be able to communicate with the entire class via email. In addition to the Final, I will periodically send the class important materials or updates. In this course, I will also be sending weekly questions on the readings. It is each student’s responsibility to ensure that the professor has an up-to-date and fully functioning email address. It is also up to the student to keep an eye out for such emails and read them and any attachments fully.