Abstract
The concept of desecuritisation - the move of an issue out of the sphere of security - has been the subject of heated international political theory debate and adopted in case studies across a range of sectors and settings. What unites the political theory and the applied literature is a concern with the normative-political potential of desecuritisation. This article documents the political status and content of desecuritisation through four readings: one which shows how desecuritisation is a Derridarian supplement to the political concept of securitisation; one which traces the understanding of the public sphere's ability to rework the friend-enemy distinction; one which emphasises the role of choice, responsibility, and decisions; and one which uncovers the significance of the historical context of Cold War détente. The last part of the article provides a reading of the varied use of desecuritisation in applied analysis and shows how these can be seen as falling into four forms of desecuritisation. Each of the latter identifies a distinct ontological position as well as a set of more specific political and normative questions.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Review of International Studies |
| Volume | 38 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| Pages (from-to) | 525-546 |
| Number of pages | 22 |
| ISSN | 0260-2105 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jul 2012 |