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Co-opting human security and deductions for security policy-making in Ghana

Ghana Journal of Development Studies

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Field Value
 
Title Co-opting human security and deductions for security policy-making in Ghana
 
Creator Attuquayefio, PK
 
Subject Human Security, Protection, Empowerment, Threats, National Security
 
Description Popularized in development and security parlance by the Human Development Report of 1994, human security emphasizes prevention and protection of people from critical and pervasive threats that violently disrupt lives. Its conceptual basis derives from the inadequacy of the state-centric conception of security to comprehensively address threats to people, particularly those of a non-military nature. Despite agreement over the importance of making the individual the referent object of security, specific threats that should be considered under human security are inconclusive. Additionally, critics argue that human security merely echoes aspects of human rights and development studies and as such, has nothing new to offer. These issues continue to hamper efforts to co-opt the concept into the mainstream of security dialogue and policy-making. Through content analysis of secondary data, this article presents obstructions to the co-optation of human security into the mainstream of the security dialogue and policy-making, and juxtaposes it against trends that appear to be promoting its integration in relevant fields of endeavour. It argues that far from being an abstract idea, human security meets a tangible need. Using Ghana as a case study, the article hints at possible implications of the co-optation of human security on security policy-making in Ghana.Keywords: Human Security, Protection, Empowerment, Threats, National Security
 
Publisher Faculty of Integrated Development Studies, University for Development Studies
 
Contributor —
 
Date 2013-06-25
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
Peer-reviewed Article
 
Format application/pdf
 
Identifier http://www.ajol.info/index.php/gjds/article/view/89916
10.4314/gjds.v9i1.7
 
Source Ghana Journal of Development Studies; Vol 9, No 1 (2012); 88-100
0855-6768
 
Language eng
 
Relation http://www.ajol.info/index.php/gjds/article/view/89916/79369
 
Rights Faculty of Integrated Development Studies, University for Development Studies, Ghana