Security Pluralities

This cluster brings to the fore various forms of security thinking, examining these modes of security not only in their own right but in relation to each other. Security thinking is often characterised by a range of often competing security goals, security practices, security artefacts and tools, security strategies and security narrative – all of which combine into a type of security constellation. We can think about these different modes of security as security pluralities. Diversity in security thinking gives rise to diversity in both the academic and practice communities that identify as having an interest in security. Security thinking is not only communicated in written form, but also becomes practiced through oral histories and materialises in different security objects.

In security studies there is a growing tradition of working with marginalised and underserved groups. Work that engages with different precariat shines a light on security pluralities. Such work takes security thinking beyond the inclusion/exclusion dualism and foregrounds the relevance of care, faith, solidarity, and embodied forms of security to not just security thinking but also security practice. Working with minority and minoritised groups and communities not only underscores how security goals are shaped by access to resource and capabilities but also how security narrative is controlled by those who are given the authority to speak about security. The authority to speak about security is grounded in circuits of power that are often built on continuing and embedded injustice and inequity.

Security pluralities are not constrained to the security of people and include both security thinking related to the protection of technologies but also security thinking of more than humans where technology and people are connected in a connected, potentially indivisible way.

Potential areas of study include:

  • How are security pluralities managed at – and beyond – the scales of the micro (individual and groups), meso (communities and organisations), and the macro (state and society)?
  • How and why are security practices formed and reformed?
  • What forms of agency emerge in the different modes of security and to whose / what benefit?
  • How and why do different modes of security connect and disconnect?