Overview

This unit develops the conceptual and theoretical frameworks covered in Contemporary Approaches to Security. It covers non-traditional security threats and empirical case studies through new approaches in security studies. Students explore the key critical debates between theoretical schools and analyse emerging and future security threats.

Requisites

Prerequisites

50 credit points

Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Semester 2
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
04-August-2025
02-November-2025
Last self-enrolment date
17-August-2025
Census date
31-August-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
19-September-2025
Results released date
09-December-2025

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  • Comparatively assess post-positivist approaches to security
  • Identify and explain key debates within and between security theories
  • Critically analyse case studies and security scenarios through the conceptual and theoretical approaches studied
  • Evaluate the ethical, normative and political dimensions of how we can theorise security

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
Live Online
Lecture		1.00 8 weeks 8
On-campus
Lecture		1.00 4 weeks 4
On-campus
Class		2.00 12 weeks 24
Specified Activities
Various		5.00 12 weeks 60
Unspecified Activities
Independent Learning		4.50 12 weeks 54
TOTAL150

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
Case PresentationIndividual 25% 2,3,4 
Literature ReviewIndividual 30% 1,2,4 
Major EssayIndividual 45% 1,2,3 

Content

  • Post-positivist security studies
  • Critical security studies and human security
  • Securitization theory
  • Race, empire and security
  • Gender and feminist security studies
  • Ontological security
  • Images, discourses and visual in/security
  • Critical military studies
  • Science, technology and security
  • Case studies across the unit include: terrorism; drone warfare and technological security; surveillance; migration; environmental insecurity; media and representations of insecurity; pandemics; resource wars; economic insecurity and everyday insecurity

Study resources

Reading materials

A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.