Revisiting Securitization Theory in a Fragmented World: The Shifting Landscape of Security and Threat Construction
Revisiting Securitization Theory in a Fragmented World: The Shifting Landscape of Security and Threat Construction

Summary/Abstract: This theoretical paper explores the expansion of the security concept beyond traditional military strength. Technological advancements, societal transformations, environmental challenges, and strategic communication have significantly shaped perceptions and constructions of threats in discourse. The study analyzes securitization (Buzan, Weaver & de Wilde, 1998; Balzacq, 2005; Xu & Shi, 2025) as a concept influenced by these factors. It introduces the notion of a ‘security imaginary’, defined as a collection of narratives, symbols, and communicative discourses (Mokry, 2023) that characterize the contemporary international environment, and initiates a discussion on the reconfiguration of current understandings of securitization. The analysis demonstrates how this imaginary has evolved across four interconnected domains. First, societal vulnerabilities arising from populist politics, polarization, and deception have rendered trust and shared belonging essential security assets. Second, the proliferation of cyberspace, technology, and artificial intelligence has redefined deterrence, knowledge, and surveillance in a data-driven context. Third, cultural processes increasingly commercialize fear, transforming danger into a form of “threat theatre” for audiences. Finally, the scope of security has expanded both globally and temporally due to the impact of climate change. Recent developments in the international arena indicate a convergence between traditional and contemporary security discourses. Current conceptualizations of threats integrate earlier emphases on defense, sovereignty, and resilience with a modern, shared language of threat. This transformation is driven not only by coercion, force, and power but also by words, symbols, and meaning. As a result, security now encompasses both defense and the construction of meaning, leading to significant implications.

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