Collective understanding of small state security in the post-Cold War era : Case study on how the shared understanding of security evolved in the Caribbean Community
Montonen, Jouni (2017)
2017
Master's Programme in Peace, Mediation and Conflict Research
Yhteiskuntatieteiden tiedekunta - Faculty of Social Sciences
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Hyväksymispäivämäärä
2017-05-10
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:uta-201705121559
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:uta-201705121559
Tiivistelmä
Abstract The debate over the concept of security is often discussed in terms of the dominant and hegemonic states in the field of security studies, international relations and conflict research. Yet, majority of the states in the world are medium or small in their physical sizes and capabilities. The focus of this research, however, is in the security understanding of the very small states located in the Caribbean, in the backyard of the global superpower U.S.A. The former colonies of the European powers became independent in the middle of the Cold War and have then looked for ways to preserve their independency in the changing global arena. The larger debate over realist and liberal thought over why states cooperate and how the states can maximise the security for their citizens is the bigger context in which this study belongs to.
By doing a case study on the Caribbean Community and why it has developed its common security strategy and shared threat perceptions as late as 2013, this thesis acknowledges the four-phases of the Caribbean security understanding identified by Jessica Byron. It expands these distinct phases and further argues that there is a new, fifth phase of security understanding in the Caribbean that can be distinguished. By utilising existing research and analysing documents released by individual states, intergovernmental organisations and other sources, this thesis is looking to discover answer to the central research question: what led to the deepening of security cooperation within the Caribbean Community. The hypothesis then is that the small size and limited capabilities have contributed to the appearance of new security concerns which have overtaken the traditional understanding of security.
After having identified distinct features in different stages of security understanding in the Caribbean, the thesis identifies a fifth phase in Caribbean security understanding and the results point out that the process of integration and increasing cooperation in CARICOM is driven both by the internal need due to lack of domestic capabilities but also by the active promotion of external powers who have their own vested interests in doing so.
By doing a case study on the Caribbean Community and why it has developed its common security strategy and shared threat perceptions as late as 2013, this thesis acknowledges the four-phases of the Caribbean security understanding identified by Jessica Byron. It expands these distinct phases and further argues that there is a new, fifth phase of security understanding in the Caribbean that can be distinguished. By utilising existing research and analysing documents released by individual states, intergovernmental organisations and other sources, this thesis is looking to discover answer to the central research question: what led to the deepening of security cooperation within the Caribbean Community. The hypothesis then is that the small size and limited capabilities have contributed to the appearance of new security concerns which have overtaken the traditional understanding of security.
After having identified distinct features in different stages of security understanding in the Caribbean, the thesis identifies a fifth phase in Caribbean security understanding and the results point out that the process of integration and increasing cooperation in CARICOM is driven both by the internal need due to lack of domestic capabilities but also by the active promotion of external powers who have their own vested interests in doing so.