The constructivist paradigm contribution to security studies

Abstract

Security Studies is not yet sufficiently developed in the coherent and complete scientific discipline with clearly defined subject, and settled theoretical approaches and research practice, therefore the study of security issue requires a broad knowledge and approaches that go beyond a narrow disciplinary focus. Theoretical efforts of contemporary researchers in the field of security studies, among other things, relate to the use of broader paradigms of more general sciences such as sociology and psychology (positivist, constructivist, interpretive, critical paradigm, etc.). The constructivist paradigm today encompasses a wide range of concepts that develops relatively independently within the frameworks of individual sciences and the authors of these concepts have very different ideas in some segments. In view of the fact that the subject of this paper is a presentation of constructivist paradigm cognitive contribution to the study of security issue, we will focus our attention on how theorists understand and apply the constructivist approach to security studies. Generally, it can be concluded that it is the application of constructivist paradigm that allows the consideration of 'subjective dimension ' of security issue by focusing the scientific research to the reality display created on the basis of ideas, identities and interests of security actors, which consequently determine their behavior. At the same time, the wider acceptance of this paradigm presupposes a critical review and improvement of the existing, and the development of new theoretical framework for security studies.

Studije bezbednosti se još uvek nisu razvile u dovoljno koherentanu i zaokruženu naučnu disciplinu sa jasno određenim predmetom, izgrađenim teorijskim pristupima i razvijenom istraživačkom praksom, tako da proučavanje pojava bezbednosti zahteva široka znanja i pristupe koji prevazilaze usko disciplinarno usmerenje. Teorijski napori savremenih istraživača pojava bezbednosti se, između ostalog, odnose i na primenu širih paradigmi opštijih nauka poput sociologije i psihologije (pozitivistička, konstruktivistička, interpretativna, kritička paradigma i sl). Konstruktivistička paradigma danas obuhvata širok spektar stanovišta koja se relativno nezavisno razvijaju u posebnim naukama, a čiji autori u pojedinim segmentima imaju sasvim različite ideje. Kako je tema ovog rada predstavljanje saznajnog doprinosa konstruktivističke paradigme proučavanju pojava bezbednosti, fokus će biti usmeren na to kako teoretičari studija bezbednosti razumeju i primenjuju konstruktivistički pristup. Uopšteno se može zaključiti da je upravo uvođenjem u istraživački fokus predstava o stvarnosti koje se formiraju na osnovu ideja, identiteta i interesa bezbednosnih aktera, a koje konsekventno određuju njihovo ponašanje, primena konstrukvitističke paradigme omogućila promišljanje 'subjektivne dimenzije' pojava bezbednosti. U isto vreme, šire prihvatanje ove paradigme, pokrenulo je kritičko preispitivanje i unapređenje postojećih, ali i razvijanje novih teorijskih okvira u studijama bezbednosti.