The European Union’s Human Security Approach: Transitioning from Childhood towards Adolescence. A tale of innocence and experience in the Sahel.
(2017) STVM23 20171Department of Political Science
- Abstract
- This thesis examines EU’s adoption of a human security approach and the extent to which it has been part of crisis management discourse as well as practice in the Sahel region of Africa.
It tells the story of a maturing process for a core approach in EU security policy; that is, the story of human security and how the concept has evolved from a state of innocence to gradual experience and adolescence. This has been a process which has exposed the tension that exists between EU ambition and capabilities – between idealism and realism in international relations – and between political discourse and practice. Human security continues to reflect a process of maturing as it is still learning from its own incoherence, which sometimes end up... (More) - This thesis examines EU’s adoption of a human security approach and the extent to which it has been part of crisis management discourse as well as practice in the Sahel region of Africa.
It tells the story of a maturing process for a core approach in EU security policy; that is, the story of human security and how the concept has evolved from a state of innocence to gradual experience and adolescence. This has been a process which has exposed the tension that exists between EU ambition and capabilities – between idealism and realism in international relations – and between political discourse and practice. Human security continues to reflect a process of maturing as it is still learning from its own incoherence, which sometimes end up doing more harm than good for those suffering. It is still striving to find its place in a world that seems to fall back on political realism, where the primacy of the state is not ready to be given up yet. It swings back and forth between its promise of people-centred radical change; of its potential for human emancipation and what seems to be the inevitable risk of becoming completely co-opted by hegemonic norms and captured to entrench existing international power inequalities. The outcome of this research confirms this. Using the Sahel region of Africa as a case study, this qualitative study engages with critical theory to understand the implications of what is labelled a second-generation human security approach. The driver behind such a conceptual transformation in EU discourse is argued to be instrumental, pointing to co-option and institutionalization of human security into mainstream discourse. If we are to see a return of emancipatory human security, this research suggests to draw on ‘local-local’ understandings of security as well as the notion of post-colonial renegotiations of peacebuilding. Only then can the EU produce real change for the individual at all levels of society. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/8922652
- author
- Daouk, Fadi LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- STVM23 20171
- year
- 2017
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- EU human security, CSS approach, principled pragmatism, Sahel interventionism, the liberal peace project.
- language
- English
- id
- 8922652
- date added to LUP
- 2018-04-27 10:14:10
- date last changed
- 2018-04-27 10:14:10
@misc{8922652,
abstract = {{This thesis examines EU’s adoption of a human security approach and the extent to which it has been part of crisis management discourse as well as practice in the Sahel region of Africa.
It tells the story of a maturing process for a core approach in EU security policy; that is, the story of human security and how the concept has evolved from a state of innocence to gradual experience and adolescence. This has been a process which has exposed the tension that exists between EU ambition and capabilities – between idealism and realism in international relations – and between political discourse and practice. Human security continues to reflect a process of maturing as it is still learning from its own incoherence, which sometimes end up doing more harm than good for those suffering. It is still striving to find its place in a world that seems to fall back on political realism, where the primacy of the state is not ready to be given up yet. It swings back and forth between its promise of people-centred radical change; of its potential for human emancipation and what seems to be the inevitable risk of becoming completely co-opted by hegemonic norms and captured to entrench existing international power inequalities. The outcome of this research confirms this. Using the Sahel region of Africa as a case study, this qualitative study engages with critical theory to understand the implications of what is labelled a second-generation human security approach. The driver behind such a conceptual transformation in EU discourse is argued to be instrumental, pointing to co-option and institutionalization of human security into mainstream discourse. If we are to see a return of emancipatory human security, this research suggests to draw on ‘local-local’ understandings of security as well as the notion of post-colonial renegotiations of peacebuilding. Only then can the EU produce real change for the individual at all levels of society.}},
author = {{Daouk, Fadi}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{The European Union’s Human Security Approach: Transitioning from Childhood towards Adolescence. A tale of innocence and experience in the Sahel.}},
year = {{2017}},
}