Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Identifier

823

Date

2013

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Major

Political Science

Committee Chair

Nicole Detraz

Committee Member

Shannon Blanton

Committee Member

Dursun Peksen

Abstract

The evolution of security studies had involved much critical examination of precisely what counts as "security." Much of this examination is a critique of traditional security studies, or strategic studies, which posits a politico-military conception of security. Working to elucidate "counter-narratives" of security requires an "opening" of security. This paper uses discourse analysis to examine key texts associated with the Responsibility to Protect (RtoP) doctrine in order to elucidate these counter-narratives of security. In so doing, I ask the following questions: (1) Does RtoP perpetuate a traditional "telling" despite its stated intention to protect seeminly vulnerable populations from human rights violations? (2) Is RtoP built upon a gendered understanding of security, thus masking/silencing alternative understandings/claims of security? In so doing, I seek to show that understanding the epistemological assumptions of security can contribute to the broader field of security studies and assist in analyzing the utility of security policy, such as the RtoP doctrine.

Comments

Data is provided by the student.

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to the local University of Memphis Electronic Theses & dissertation (ETD) Repository.

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