ABSTRACT
The centrality of security for any society explains its stakes and its sheer complexity, and why it lies at the conceptual core of the discipline of international relations, alongside other key concepts such as power, peace, conflict, cooperation, and capability. In his classic People, States, and Fear, Barry Buzan explains: “(T)he concept of security is, in itself, a more versatile, penetrating and useful way to approach the study of international relations than either power or peace. It points to a prime motive for behaviour which is different from, but no less significant than, that provided by power. It also leads to a comprehensive perspective which is likewise different from, but no less useful than, that provided by peace” (Buzan 1991, 3; Buzan in Hughes and Meng 2011, 19).
