Journal of Human Security | 2013 | Volume 9 | Issue 1 | Pages 29–31

DOI: 10.12924/johs2013.09010029

ISSN: 1835-3800

Book Review

Doing Justice to Human Security: A Textbook in Tune with

its Time

Published: 4 September 2013

Keywords: an appropriate human security textbook; learning outcomes and big ideas

Human Security in World Affairs: Problems

and Opportunities

Alexander K. Lautensach, Sabina W. Lautensach

(eds.)

Caesarpress: 2013

504 pp.; ISBN: 978-3-902890-00-9

I begin this brief review of this important volume with

the confession that I have not personally pursued a

teaching style that has employed a self-acclaimed

textbook for many, many years, preferring to

construct courses around monographs, articles and

other visual materials. However, were I provided the

opportunity to teach a course at the upper division

undergraduate level or early gradate level in the

subject of human security, this would certainly be the

book I would choose (with the caveat introduced

below). Alex and Sabina Lautensach have given

careful and thoughtful consideration to every aspect

of the text: the preface and introduction, written by

the editors, lay out both the logic of the text and

frame the subject matter that will locate the reader

firmly in the midst of the vast challenges that consti-

tute the issue of human security. They do so by em-

phasizing both the multiple dimensions along which

the issue of human security can be located and the

inseparable nature of these as they interact with each

other in complex ways. In many respects this strikes

me as one of the most important contributions to the

text—its steady insistence that human security as a

construct is in a discursive state of constant emer-

gence, such that in some important ways all its varied

dimensions insistently co-vary. To make such a claim

is in itself daunting—to demonstrate its validity and

mutual engagements through the complex subject

matters of its 20 chapters, is a tour de force. Their

conclusion is sufficiently rich to stand alone as an

illustrative text in other course materials.

As a text the book is thoughtfully constructed. As

indicated, the subject matter chapters are preceded

by a preface and introduction that are written in a sty-

le that is welcoming to the reader and leave one with

a sense of confidence that the overall work promises

both purpose and content that will be rewarding. For

the student this promise is realized in the structure of

the 19 content chapters. Each consists of a summary

that appears at the beginning of the chapter followed

by a statement of "Learning Outcomes and Big

Ideas". This framing device gives on to the overall

subject matter of the chapter, conveniently identified

by specific enumerated sections. Each chapter con-

cludes with four teaching-oriented subsets: summary

points that ably delineate the major issues touched on

within the chapter; a listing of extension activities and

further research ideas that stimulate the reader/

learner to additional activities; a list of terms and

definitions that cumulatively build the conceptual

vocabulary that is a major "take away" of the volume;

and a section on further reading which often contains

useful URLs to direct the reader to sites that in their

nature will continuously update concepts and ma-

terials found within the chapter.

One can only be impressed by the reach of this

volume and the impressive credentials of its many

under a Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).

authors. The conventional listing of contributors at the

volume’s end provides an additional incentive for

readers to extend their investigation beyond the

volume in hand by putting these authors high on their

list of future reading. They include an impressive mix

of academic credentials as well as ample "real world"

postings in both governmental and NGO sites

throughout the world. Perusing this listing one can not

help but carry away from it not only the sense of well-

earned credentialization of the contributors, but also

their commitments to the numerous and varied issues

and causes that necessarily make up the "culture" of

human security endeavors throughout the world.

Given the inevitable "reality" that to address human

security is to "take on" virtually every aspect of

human activity on the globe in all time periods, the

volume does a remarkable job of selecting areas of

concentration that will provide a rapid learning ex-

perience for the novice reader (let alone the additional

benefits of reach and edification that come to the

more experienced reader). This benefit is, I think,

best exemplified by the constant iteration of the

interactions that exist between human and non-

human environmental factors. The direct and indirect

interfaces between human settlement activity of all

sorts—but especially those of human societies over

the past two hundred years—and the natural

environment are touched on in nearly every chapter

with the result that the reader’s previous under-

standing of key concepts is simultaneously reinforced

and expended upon. Phrased another way, the

framing with which the volume leads—namely,

providing effective understanding of both the reach

and limitations of various environments and ecologies

throughout the globe—is constantly overlain with rich

and complex descriptions and analyses of complex

human structures that have grown out of such en-

gagements both as efforts to organize and regulate

them, e.g. state structures, extra-state structures,

laws, conventions, regulatory processes, as well as

those that exist outside the reach of effective human

regulation and continue as the sources of human

misery and constant threats to human security, e.g.

human trafficking, arms dealing, global crime, refugee

displacement, health threats, etc. Overall, as a reader

I was impressed by the extraordinary range of the

conceptual structures provided by the volume as well

as the wealth of information provided.

As a university classroom teacher of many decades,

I was constantly challenged in reading this volume to

think of how it could be effectively used by my

students. I am struck by three accommodations one

must make to it. First, despite the very original and

diligent structural considerations built into each

chapter intended to assist the student in grasping the

extraordinary range of materials included in the

volume, I find the task viewed from the student's

perspective daunting. This flows both from the range

of the subject matter and the extraordinary detail that

is provided differentially in virtually every chapter. In

many respects I would conceive of the book more as

a resource volume than a text, certainly at the

undergraduate level. Second, I write from a distinctly

American university perspective wherein most uni-

versity undergraduate curricula would not have

provided a ready administrative space for a multi-

disciplinary subject such as human security: it would

most likely be taught either from a social science,

biological science or health science perspective. As

such the teaching task is considerable to assure that

students have the grasp of the theoretical and

conceptual materials necessary to ensure full use of

the book. To which one needs to add that both the

semester and quarter structure of many (most?)

courses make this a heavy burden for most under-

graduate classes. I hasten to admit that this reflects

more negatively on the nature of US undergraduate

educational structures than on the inherent value of

the book, but as I indicate, it is a significant accom-

modation one must make were this the context of its

use. Thirdly, and following directly from my previous

point, in my own teaching this would be an invaluable

book at the graduate level, in any number of courses.

Within my own frame of reference its use in courses

in policy, conflict, globalization, planning and health

would be more than welcome.

Given my obvious appreciation of the book and its

many virtues, it seems almost gratuitous to focus on

what I find as shortcomings. But for my purposes

both as a university teacher and researcher, I find

several areas in which I would have appreciated either

inclusion of an added dimension or greater attention

within chapters that occupy these subject frames. One

is with the issue of population. Whereas the

extraordinary challenges presented by our current

population trajectory are touched on in various places

(most particularly chapter two), as an overall driver of

the human security complex of causes and effects, it

seems to be under-emphasized and valued. This is

especially true given the precise point we occupy on

the population explosion curve. Our students in

particular are facing a world of potential transition

that is almost without recent precedent. Combining

this awareness with a more extended consideration of

the dynamics of the global economy into which our

students will be entering seems especially relevant.

This leads to a second and related concern, which

again is touched on in various places, especially those

that deal with issues of the state and extra-state

status, namely the explosive growth throughout the

world of conurbations, sometimes viewed as mega

cities. A growing amount of recent scholarship,

especially from urbanists and students of globalization

suggests that the structural nature of such human

aggregations poses new issues and dilemmas for

governance and survival. My suggestion is that they

need to be included within this admirable catalogue of

human security concerns in and of themselves. A third

issue concerns the ubiquitous nature of technological

change and its transformations throughout the

complete range of knowledge environments. The

dominant view of technology throughout the volume

tends to be its threats to issues of sustainability

between human and non-human ecologies. My view is

that the world as we know it is poised at a particular

conjuncture between population, human settlement

patterns, governance and belief and the ever more

rapidly changing knowledge environment—all part of

the collective phenomenon we choose to label

globalization despite our ready admission that by this

term we mean many, many different things.

But in the overall context of this admirable volume,

these can be viewed as perhaps desirable additions to a

second edition, rather than as shortcomings that detract

from its value. Overall, the volume is an extraordinary

achievement and I applaud its publication.

Deane E. Neubauer

Department of Political Science, University of Hawaii,

Manoa, HI, USA; E-Mail: [email protected]