This book demonstrates that the disciplinary boundaries present within international relations approaches to security studies are redundant when examining social media, and inter- and multi-disciplinary analysis is key. A key result of the analysis undertaken is that when examining the social media sphere security scholars need to “expect the unexpected”. This is because social media enables users to subvert, contest and create security narratives with symbols and idioms of their choice which can take into account “traditional” security themes, but also unexpected and under explored themes such as narratives from the local context of the users’ towns and cities, and the symbolism of football clubs. The book also explores the complex topography of social media when considering constructions of security. The highly dynamic topography of social media is neither elite dominated and hierarchical as the Copenhagen School conceptualises security speak. However, neither is it completely flat and egalitarian as suggested by the vernacular security studies’ non-elite approach. Rather, social media’s topography is shifting and dynamic, with individuals gaining influence in security debates in unpredictable ways. In examining social media this book engages with the emancipatory burden of critical security studies. This book argues that it remains unfulfilled on social media and rather presents a “thin” notion of discursive emancipation where social media does provide the ability for previously excluded voices to participate in security debates, even if this does not result in their direct emancipation from power hierarchies and structures offline.
Author(s): Joseph Downing
Series: New Security Challenges
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Year: 2023
Language: English
Pages: 272
City: Cham
Acknowledgements
Contents
1 Introduction to Social Media and Critical Security Studies in the Digital Age
1.1 Introducing Social Media and Critical Security in the Digital Age
1.2 Challenges and Limits to Investigating Social Media and Security
1.3 Take Home Messages
1.3.1 The Need to Shatter Disciplinary Boundaries in the Digital Age
1.3.2 Empirical Security Paradoxes: Expecting the Unexpected on Social Media
1.3.3 The Temperamental Topography of Social Media: The Rise, Rise and Fall of Platforms, Data and Methods
1.3.4 The Unrealised Promises of Critical Theory: Social Media and Discursive Emancipation
1.4 Charting the Road Ahead: Critical Insights into the Social Media Securityscape
Bibliography
2 Conceptualising Social Media and Critical Security Studies in the Digital Age
2.1 Introducing International Relations and Security
2.2 Classical Security Studies: Realism, Liberalism, Constructivism
2.3 The Critical Security Studies World Tour: Copenhagen, Paris and Wales
2.3.1 The Discursive Turn and the Copenhagen School
2.3.2 Security and the Prospects of Emancipation: The Welsh School of Security Studies
2.3.3 Crossing the Chanel: The Paris School of Security Studies
2.4 From the General to the Specific: More Particular Developments in Critical Security Studies
2.4.1 Voices from Below: Vernacular Security Studies
2.4.2 Making Sense of the Post-9/11 World: Critical Terrorism Studies
2.5 Security and Technology: Social Media and CyberSecurity Debates
2.6 Conclusions on Critical Security Studies, Technology and Social Media
Bibliography
3 Social Media, Digital Methods and Critical Security Studies
3.1 Introducing Digital Methods, Critical Security Studies and Social Media
3.2 Conceptualising Social Media, Security and Methods
3.3 Digital Research Challenges: Data Access, Demographics and Ethics
3.3.1 Digital Demographics: Lessons from the Fake Warren Buffett and the Twitter Blue Tick
3.3.2 Digital Data: Financial, Ethical and Access Challenges
3.4 Digital Approaches to Critical Security Studies: Methodological Notes
3.4.1 Social Network Analysis and Critical Security Studies
3.4.2 Netnography, “Self-Destruction” and Critical Security Studies
3.4.3 Digital Discourse: Security Speak and Social Media
3.5 Conclusions on Methods, Critical Security and Social Media
Bibliography
4 Social Media, Security and Terrorism in the Digital Age
4.1 Introducing Social Media, Security and Terrorism in the Digital Age
4.2 Conceptualising Social Media, Security and Terrorism in a Digital Age
4.3 Social Media, Terrorism and Local Themes of Resistance
4.3.1 Social Media, Re-Constructing Terrorism and Urban Identity
4.3.2 Social Media, Terrorism and Football Resistance
4.4 Conclusions on Social Media and Terrorism in the Digital Age
Appendices
Appendix 1
Appendix 2
Appendix 3
Bibliography
5 Social Media and Vernacular Security in the Digital Age
5.1 Introducing Social Media and Vernacular Approaches to Security in the Digital Age
5.2 Conceptualising Social Media and Vernacular Security in the Digital Age
5.3 Investigating Social Media and Vernacular Security in the Digital Age
5.3.1 Social Media and Vernacular Resistance to Non-State Actors on YouTube
5.3.2 Social Media and Vernacular Insecurity on Snapchat
5.4 Conclusions on Social Media Vernacular Security in the Digital Age
Appendices
Appendix 1
Appendix 2
Bibliography
6 Social Media, Security and Democracy in the Digital Age
6.1 Introducing Social Media, Security and Democracy in the Digital Age
6.2 Conceptualising Social Media, Security and Democracy in the Digital Age
6.3 Investigating Social Media, Security and Democracy in the Digital Age
6.3.1 Social Media, Security, Democracy and Election Meddling
6.3.2 Social Media, Security, Democracy and Abstention
6.4 Conclusions on Social Media, Security and Democracy in the Digital Age
Appendices
Appendix 1
Appendix 2
Bibliography
7 Social Media, Security and Identity in the Digital Age
7.1 Introducing Social Media, Security and Identity in the Digital Age
7.2 Conceptualising Social Media, Security and Identity in the Digital Age
7.3 Investigating Social Media, Security and Identity in the Digital Age
7.3.1 Social Media, Security and National Identity on Twitter
7.3.2 Social Media, Security and Internationalising Muslim Identity on Twitter
7.4 Conclusions on Social Media, Security and Identity in the Digital Age
Appendices
Appendix 1
Appendix 2
Bibliography
8 Conclusions on Social Media and Critical Security Studies in a Digital Age
8.1 Introducing Conclusions on Social Media and Security in the Digital Age
8.2 Macro Reflections on Social Media and Critical Security in a Digital Age
8.2.1 The Centrality of Interdisciplinary Approaches
8.2.2 Expecting the Unexpected and Broadening the Empirical Insights into Security
8.2.3 New Platforms, New Insights
8.2.4 Discursive Emancipation and Social Media
8.3 Conclusions on Social Media and Critical Security Concepts
8.4 Conclusions on Social Media, Digital Methods and Critical Security Studies
8.5 Conclusions on Social Media, Security and Terrorism
8.6 Conclusions on Social Media and Vernacular Security in the Digital Age
8.7 Conclusions on Social Media, Security and Democracy in the Digital Age
8.8 Conclusions on Social Media, Security and Identity in the Digital Age
Bibliography
Index
