Security being a fundamentally contested term is due there being a unanimous recognition in the international community that security as a concept exists, however the interpretation of security varies due to different perspectives and theories. Fundamentally ‘contested concepts are said to be so value-laden that no amount of argument or evidence can ever lead to agreement on a single version as the 'correct or standard use’ (Baldwin, 1997).
The concept of security has been around for a while, with Barry Buzan being one of the first to dig deeper into the idea as it was not as contested beforehand. Although the term Security is a basic notion, since the early 80s the definition of security has been interpreted in a larger variety of ways. The
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The theory which is fundamental in the debate of the term security is realism, the notion of security is agreed to have stemmed from the general theory of realism as realism is deeply normative therefore focuses on how things should be. "Security is a relative freedom from war, coupled with a relative high expectation that defeat will not be a consequence of any war that should occur.” (Williams, 2013). I will discuss the theoretical ideology of realism to understanding security and how that view is contested compared to the change in the definition of the term more towards individual security. My argument is that security is a fundamentally contested term due vast differences in the focus of the term …show more content…
I have shown that it all depends on perspective even Buzan has said he can not give an objective definition of the term. I have discussed the different approaches and interpretations ranging from realisms to liberalism, this was just to show the political discourse needed to answer the question. In conclusion realism understands security as the fight for national sovereignty and security and the Welsh School and more liberal approaches focus on human security and emancipation of individuals and in some cases the environment. Additionally the importance of the term security in the domain of international relations also plays a big part in why it is contested. Once again since there is not one definition of the term it is fundamentally contested and I believe that it will stay this way due to the forever differences in human perception of