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From ‘Securitization’ of Climate Change to ’Climatization‘ of the Security Field: Comparing Three Theoretical Perspectives

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Climate Change, Human Security and Violent Conflict

Part of the book series: Hexagon Series on Human and Environmental Security and Peace ((HSHES,volume 8))

Abstract

Since 2003, climate change has been articulated as a threat to national, international, and human security in scientific publications and political declarations. What does the articulation of climate change as a security issue mean in terms of policy implications? How is climate change being rendered governable as a security issue and what are the consequences of this? In this chapter, three theoretical perspectives are introduced that shed light on this question: the Copenhagen School, the human security perspective, and the Paris School. These three schools all offer theoretical perspectives on the question of what it means (or should mean) to render something governable as a security issue and whether or not this is desirable. As well as being those most discussed in the literature, these three schools also cover the full spectrum of positions on the issue: against securitization, for securitization, and neutral (it depends).

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  1. Schrammsweg 33, 20249, Hamburg, Germany

    Angela Oels

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  1. Angela Oels
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Correspondence to Angela Oels .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. ZMAW, Institute for Geography, University of Hamburg, Bundesstr. 53, Hamburg, 20146, Germany

    Jürgen Scheffran

  2. , Institute of Peace Research and Security, Hamburg University, Beim Schlump 83, Hamburg, 20144, Germany

    Michael Brzoska

  3. AG Friedensforschung + Europ., Sicherheitspolitik, AFES-PRESS, Alte Bergsteige 47, Mosbach, 74821, Germany

    Hans Günter Brauch

  4. ZMAW, Res. Group Climate Change and Security, Hamburg University, Bundesstrasse 53, Hamburg, 20146, Germany

    Peter Michael Link

  5. ZMAW, Res. Group Climate Change and Security, Hamburg University, Bundesstrasse 53, Hamburg, 20146, Germany

    Janpeter Schilling

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Oels, A. (2012). From ‘Securitization’ of Climate Change to ’Climatization‘ of the Security Field: Comparing Three Theoretical Perspectives. In: Scheffran, J., Brzoska, M., Brauch, H., Link, P., Schilling, J. (eds) Climate Change, Human Security and Violent Conflict. Hexagon Series on Human and Environmental Security and Peace, vol 8. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-28626-1_9

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