Security Studies: An Introduction

Security Studies: An Introduction, 4th edition, is the most comprehensive textbook available on the subject, providing students with in-depth coverage of traditional and critical approaches and an essential grounding in the debates, frameworks, and issues of the contemporary security agenda.

This new edition has been completely revised and updated, to cover major developments such as COVID-19, the rise of populism, climate change, China and Russia’s place in the world, and the Trump administration. It also includes new chapters on great power rivalry, emerging technologies, and economic threats.

Divided into four parts, the text provides students with a detailed, accessible overview of the major theoretical approaches, key themes, and most significant issues within security studies.

• Part 1 explores the main theoretical approaches from both traditional and critical standpoints
• Part 2 explains the central concepts underpinning contemporary debates
• Part 3 presents an overview of the institutional security architecture
• Part 4 examines some of the key contemporary challenges to global security

Collecting these related strands into a single textbook creates a valuable teaching tool and a comprehensive, accessible learning resource for undergraduates and MA students.

Paul D. Williams is Professor and Associate Director of the Security Policy Studies MA Program in the Elliott School of International Affairs at the George Washington University. His most recent publications include Fighting for Peace in Somalia: A History and Analysis of the African Union Mission (AMISOM), 2007–2017 (Oxford University Press, 2018); War and Conflict in Africa (Polity Press, 2nd edition, 2016); and Understanding Peacekeeping, with A.J. Bellamy (Polity Press, 3rd edition, 2021).

Matt McDonald is Reader in International Relations at the School of Political Science and International Studies at the University of Queensland. His most recent publications include Ecological Security (Cambridge University Press, 2021); Ethics and Global Security: A Cosmopolitan Approach, with Anthony Burke and Katrina Lee-Koo (Routledge, 2014); and Security, the Environment and Emancipation (Routledge, 2012).