ABSTRACT

Does a volume on security studies need a separate chapter on culture? Not necessarily. The first edition of this title covered the topic without giving it special attention or even an entry in the index. Does this mean that the first edition was delinquent? Not necessarily. Depending on one’s definition, attributes typically associated with culture appear in nearly all the chapters, suggesting that it is virtually impossible to discuss fundamental processes and patterns of security without incorporating it. Taking culture’s simultaneous absence and omnipresence in the first edition as a point of departure, this chapter explores culture’s imprint and impact on various areas of security.