This course uses interdisciplinary methods to consider security from a social, rather than a state, perspective. It provides students the chance to engage critically on how threat and security are communicated by society in a constantly evolving and contested public space. The course seeks to understand why societies care about one thing and not another, why one person's security is someone else's chaos or oppression, and how we as a community conceptualise and discuss those differences.
The course will be of benefit to students seeking to address issues of social cohesion, social license, radicalisation and extremism. By looking at how representations of threat (from government messaging to superhero movies) reflect notions of care, students will gain an understanding of how individuals imagine threats and how those imagined threats come together to impact social expectations and government actions.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Synthesise and apply key concepts and theories in the social experience of security.
- Propose solutions to practical issues of relevance to the social experience of security.
- Critically analyse public statements and media representations of security.
- Evaluate the suitability of various approaches to understanding security in the public sphere.
- Develop and communicate ideas, critiques and analyses of security in the public sphere clearly and effectively.
Indicative Assessment
- Multiple choice quiz (15) [LO 1,4,5]
- Short-form analysis (1,000 words) (20) [LO 1,2,3,5]
- Class presentation + Q&A (5 minutes) and brief (500 words) (15) [LO 1,2,4,5]
- Research essay (3,000 words) (50) [LO 1,2,3,4,5]
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
The standard workload for a 6 unit course is 130 hours including class time and independent study.
Prescribed Texts
Students are expected to study at least one of the following texts, or pair of films:
- Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
- 1984 by George Orwell
- Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
- Iron Man 1 and 2
- Dr Strangelove (1964) and Civil War (2024)
- Mars Attacks! (1996) and Independence Day (1996)
Other texts may be nominated by students and approved by the convenor before census date.
Preliminary Reading
Craig Browne, ‘Habermas on the Institutionalizing of Modernity: Communicative Rationality, Lifeworld and System’, in Habermas and Giddens on Praxis and Modernity (Anthem Press, 2017).
John T. Hamilton, Security: Politics, Humanity, and the Philology of Care (Princeton University Press, 2013).
Eli Jelly-Schapiro, Security and Terror: American Culture and the Long History of Colonial Modernity (University of California Press, 2018).
James Mortensen and Andrew J. Gibson, ‘Mental Health, Messaging and Security in Times of Crisis’, National Security Journal 5 (September 2023).
Emily C. Nacol, 'The Risks of Political Authority: Trust, Knowledge, and Political Agency in Locke’s Politics and Economy’, in An Age of Risk, Politics and Economy in Early Modern Britain (Princeton University Press, 2016).
David P. Redlawsk, ‘Hot Cognition or Cool Consideration? Testing the Effects of Motivated Reasoning on Political Decision Making’, The Journal of Politics 64, no. 4 (2002): 1021–44.
Schmid, Julian. Marvel, DC and US Security: The Superhero Genre and Foreign Policy in the Twenty-First Century. Edinburgh University Press, 2025.
Carl Schmitt et al., The Tyranny of Values and Other Texts (Telos Press Publishing, 2018).
Amy B. Zegart, Spies, Lies, and Algorithms: The History and Future of American Intelligence (Princeton University Press, 2022).
Assumed Knowledge
Students are expected to have knowledge of at least an undergraduate level in international relations, security studies, political theory, or sociology. Master of National Security Policy students are assumed to have completed at least one compulsory course, such as NSPO8007 or NSPO8006, before enrolling.
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 14
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
Second Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| On campus | ||||||
| 10510 | 26 Jul 2027 | 02 Aug 2027 | 31 Aug 2027 | 29 Oct 2027 | In Person | N/A |
| Online | ||||||
| 10511 | 26 Jul 2027 | 02 Aug 2027 | 31 Aug 2027 | 29 Oct 2027 | Online | N/A |