They are called “critical security studies”.

The main reason for defining critical security studies as ‘critical’ is connected to their critiques to traditional security conception’s main assumptions on the meaning of security and subsequent practices of it.

In general terms, critical security studies represent the aggregate amount of different critical perspectives on security.

Ken Booth and Richard Wyn Jones, as two important representatives of the School, not only criticize the traditional security conception in terms of deepening and widening of it, but also argue for reconceptualization of security studies by focusing on emancipation of human beings.

During the last years of the Cold War, security studies was not only questioned in terms of the reasons, but also in terms of results.

Critical security studies are inspired from the Peace Studies that has started to focus on “positive peace” concept in addition to “negative peace” since the 1980s.

Aberystwyth School gives a start to its critics through arguing that state-centric security conception does not generate satisfactory explanations for the post-Cold War’s security environment. In this context, Aberystwyth School questions the narrow, militarized, positivist and theoretically realist security conception.

The most important characteristics of Aberystwyth School can be summarized as follows:

1. Addressing the security as derivative concept,

2. Claim for necessity of widening of security agenda,

3. Privileging of individual as the referent object of security,

4. Regarding security problematique in the context of emancipation concept,

5. Considering the threats in a socially constructed manner,

6. Examining the relationships between self and other

According to Max Horkheimer, traditional theory is about the reproduction of status quo.

Theoretical origins of critical security can be traced back to Frankfurt School which emerged in Germany after the end of the First World War.

While classical Marxism argues that life determines mind, not vice versa, Frankfurt School claims that there is a mutual relationship between mind, thoughts, ideals and economic infrastructure.

Introduction of security as an “ambiguous symbol” and an “essentially contested concept” has led to emergence of critical security approaches. Because critical security studies reject the idea that security has a constant meaning.

According to Aberystwyth School which makes effort to reveal the limitations of traditional security conception, security is a derivative concept based on a priori political understanding.

Aberystwyth School states that dominant security rhetoric does not deal with the essence of security. Because, narrow security agenda of traditional conception does not analyse the security problems of social groups and individuals.

While one of the two main debates in Security Studies during 1990s is about the broadening of security agenda by including the non-military threats, the other one is about determining the proper referent object of security.

Individuals, collective groups, nations, and as a whole global community are defined as potential referent objects of security apart from the state.

According to Aberystwyth School, emancipation should be at the center of security thinking. Ken Booth explains the importance of emancipation concept for security studies in following ways: “Security and emancipation are two sides of the same coin. Emancipation, not power or order, produces true security. Emancipation, theoretically, is security”.

According to Aberystwyth School, emancipation should be comprehended not as a final end, but as a process. In other words, emancipation is not a constant idea or destination, but a direction for a better world order. That is why, emancipation means to resist to oppression, and struggle for a society based on fundamental freedoms, equality, justice, human development and progress.

Aberystwyth School analyzes the concept of hegemony by giving attention to unequal and hierarchic structure of international system as the sources of insecurity.