“Regions and Powers: The Present and Future of Regional Security Complex Theory”
Rationale:
Over the course of the past decade there has been a growing interest in regional security studies, particularly thanks to the work done by Barry Buzan and Ole Wæver. Their influential work — Regions and Powers: The Structure of International Security published in 2003 — represents the most authoritative account of the Regional Security Complex Theory (RSCT) to date. Since “threats travel more easily over short distances than over long ones,” the authors posit that international security dynamics cluster into distinct regional security complexes. They are defined as “a set of units whose major processes of securitization, desecuritization, or both are so interlinked that their security problems cannot reasonably be analysed or resolved apart from one another” (p. 44). Over the years, their book informed a great number of theoretical and empirical discussions. Ten years on, it is time to take stock of the scope and perspectives of the debate generated by this highly influential book. Journal of Regional Security invites contributions that address RSCT from various theoretical and multidisciplinary perspectives.
Specific topics that we are interested in are:
– The role of external region-builders
– Regional identity and common memories
– RSCT and energy security
– New empirical applications of RSCT
– Regional and human security
– The status of the state in RSCT
– New Regionalisms and RSCT
– Level-of-analysis problems and RSCT
– Globalization and regionalization of security
Manuscripts should be submitted to jrs@fpn.bg.ac.rs by 1 May 2014 at the latest.
Guidelines for authors can be downloaded here.
Established in 2006, the Journal of Regional Security is a peer-reviewed journal specializing in the field of regional security studies. Click here for more info about the journal and editorial board, current or past issues.
Photo by Belgrade Centre for Security Policy.