What is security? While international security once primarily referred to military conflict and the threat of nuclear war, today it often refers to the environment, the movement of peoples, biological and chemical weapons, and other non-traditional sources of insecurity. This class examines a wide range of conceptions and problems of international security, traditional and non-traditional, and considers the prospects for cooperation to overcome these threats. It first asks whether the focus of security studies should be individual human beings, states, the world as a whole, or something else. It then asks whether security should be seen as primarily competitive, so that one's security can only be enhanced by threatening the security of another, or primarily cooperative, so that one's security is best protected by increasing the security of others. It also evaluates the various mechanisms by which states and non-state actors can act to increase the security of individuals, groups, and the world, as well as the extent to which they are likely to act in these ways. Format: lecture/discussion. Requirements: final exam, two papers, and reading response papers. No prerequisites; but Political Science 202 is recommended. Enrollment limit: 40 (expected: 40). International Relations Subfield