Security is an important issue when one talks about the international relations. Security has traditionally been conceived narrowly in military terms. Security studies bastioned the neo-realist orthodoxy in international relations securing it against various challenges that come up. Security studies’ literature is abundant with so many polemic exchanges between and among the scholars. However, Critical studies in security studies has evolved and gained much currency in past decades. Critical studies have broadened and widened the scope of security studies. In this paper, I attempt to figure out the concept and content of critical security studies in international relations. Also, the paper tries to work out on what is actually so critical about critical studies. And, to accomplish this purpose, I start with the traditional approaches [(neo) realist tradition)] to security and their critique; then the purpose of security; and finally the future of critical security studies in IR.
Security, securitization, neo-realism, Copenhagen, Welsh, critical theory
