This study aims to show that current thinking about the role of resources in war, and as a component of military potential in peacetime, relies on notions derived from historical experience and changes in the nature of warfare, not least the advent of nuclear weapons.

The idea of global security has taken on new meaning in the post-Cold War world, compelling analysts of international relations to reassess the military, political, and cultural issues that intersect with the notion of security. On Security represents a wide range of views on shifting concepts of security at the turn of the millennium, when the tangible, bipolar arrangement of the Cold War-era world system no longer exists." "Unlike much work in the field, the essays in this volume do not take the state for granted as the referent object of security. Contributors probe deeper, asking what it really is that we imagine needs securing: the international system? the nation-state? culture? On Security inquires further into what constitutes security: protection against enemies? suppression of a particular ethnic or religious group? insulation against economic competitors? And finally, contributors look into how ideas about security enter the realm of public debate and become institutionalized in organizations and policies: are they based on tangible, objective threats, or do they arise from psychological and emotional attitudes about feared enemies?" "Ranging in perspective from neorealist to postmodernist to constructivist, the essays in On Security attempt to find answers and to come to grips with some of the dilemmas confronting the idea of security today. The contributors to On Security - Barry Buzan, Beverly Crawford, James Der Derian, Daniel Deudney, Pearl-Alice Marsh, Ole Wever, and Ronnie D. Lipschutz - offer a thought-provoking overview of the ongoing debate about the nature of political reality and international relations.

This reader brings together key contributions from many of the leading scholars in the field, offering students an informed overview of the most significant work in security studies. The editors chart the development of the key theoretical and empirical debates in security studies in the Cold War and post-Cold War periods, introducing the ideas of the most influential ‘past masters’ and contemporary thinkers on security in the UK, US and elsewhere. The book is divided into five areas: What is Security? Security Paradigms Security Dimensions and Issues Security Frameworks and Actors The Future of Security. In order to guide students through the issues, the book has a substantial critical introduction exploring the development of security studies, as well as introductory essays that provide an overview of each section, highlighting clearly how the readings fit together. Suggestions for further reading and key questions for discussion are also included. Security Studies is an invaluable resource for all students of security studies and international relations.

Wherever international commerce flows in world politics, military power often flows with it - sometimes as a protector of commerce, sometimes as its promoters and sometimes as a tool of aggression against it. How are military power and international trade related? Do military power and commerce expand together or does military power decline as commerce (and perhaps interdependence) increases? Does this relationship vary across countries and, if so how? Power, Conflict and Trade is a study of the relationship between military power and international commerce among the Great Powers prior to World War I. After building an argument for a direct relationship between military power and commerce - one grounded in a mercantilist view of state power- and exploring their numerous connections, the book estimates models of the relationship among the Great Powers and explores a great deal of their commercial and military data, all of which is situated in the context of their mutual rivalries. Another question investigated is whether the peacetime conflicts and rivalries of the Great Powers affected their trade relations adversely. There is strong support for the argument that military power and commerce move together in world politics, though there is evidence for an inverse relationship as well.