SECURITY / SAFETY
2.3
Human-Security Agenda
The rise of “human security” reframes state power as protection, but critics argue it conceals new forms of control.
Liberal governments have promoted “soft-and-smart power” strategies that combine law enforcement with humanitarian aid and victim support.
Anthropologist and political scientist Paul Amar shows how this approach shifts focus from traditional warfare to protecting individuals while expanding state control. Despite claims of safeguarding human rights, these policies often restrict marginalised groups, using surveillance and policing under the guise of security.
Serena O. Dankwa explains this in more detail in the video below.
Write Down Your Thoughts
- Think about examples where humanitarian efforts have led to surveillance, policing, or restrictions of certain groups.
- Given that soft power seems to be waning today, read the news article mentioned in the references below by Philp Golub who asks: “How soft is soft power really?”
- In what ways does the focus on protecting “women, children, and families” shape which lives are seen as worth protecting – and which are not?
Consider how gender, class, race, and sexuality influence who is seen as and treated as a potential victim or potential perpetrator.
References
Amar, P. (2015, April 11). Paul Amar examines social militarization in Egypt and Brazil [Video]. Stanford University.
Amar P. (2013). The Security Archipelago. Human-Security States, Sexuality Politics, and the End of Neoliberalism. Duke University Press.
Golub, P. (2025, April). “How soft is soft power really?” Le Monde diplomatique, No 2504.
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