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Howell and Richter-Montpetit 2019 Is Securitization Theory Racist Civilizationism, Methodological Whiteness and Antiblack thought in the Copenhagen School.pdf (378.16 kB)

Is securitization theory racist? Civilizationism, methodological whiteness, and antiblack thought in the Copenhagen School

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journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-09, 17:55 authored by Alison Howell, Melanie Richter-MontpetitMelanie Richter-Montpetit
This article provides the first excavation of the foundational role of racist thought in securitization theory. We demonstrate that Copenhagen School securitization theory is structured not only by Eurocentrism but also by civilizationism, methodological whiteness, and antiblack racism. Classic securitization theory advances a conceptualization of ‘normal politics’ as reasoned, civilized dialogue, and securitization as a potential regression into a racially coded uncivilized ‘state of nature’. It justifies this through a civilizationist history of the world that privileges Europe as the apex of civilized ‘desecuritization’, sanitizing its violent (settler-) colonial projects and the racial violence of normal liberal politics. It then constructs a methodologically and normatively white framework that uses speech act theory to locate ‘progress’ towards normal politics and desecuritization in Europe, making becoming like Europe a moral imperative. Using ostensibly neutral terms, securitization theory prioritizes order over justice, positioning the securitization theorist as the defender of (white) ‘civilized politics’ against (racialized) ‘primal anarchy’. Antiblackness is a crucial building-block in this conceptual edifice: securitization theory finds ‘primal anarchy’ especially in ‘Africa’, casting it as an irrationally oversecuritized foil to ‘civilized politics’. We conclude by discussing whether the theory, or even just the concept of securitization, can be recuperated from these racist foundations.

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Accepted version

Journal

Security Dialogue

ISSN

0967-0106

Publisher

SAGE Publications

Issue

1

Volume

51

Page range

3-22

Department affiliated with

  • International Relations Publications

Research groups affiliated with

  • Centre for Advanced International Theory Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2019-05-29

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2019-05-29

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2019-05-29

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