Lost ‘Self’ in the Game of Power Politics and Hierarchy

 

                                   “We see things not as they are, but as we are”

-Anais Nin

My understanding of self is both shaped by worldly experience and my own interpretations of objective reality. My perception of self and security was very limited and skewed until I was not introduced to the critical theories. At first, I was introduced to the mainstream theories like realism and liberalism, which takes existing power structures as given and make an attempt to maintain the status quo. Realists have a very pessimistic view about security, as they look at security as freedom from the threat of ‘military and war’. But as I was introduced to constructivist and critical theories my understanding of self and security evolved. Self is not only embedded in power structure but is embodied and has some physical needs and aspirations. Through different discursive practices, we do not make sense of the reality out there but these discursive practices also help us in constituting reality.

In his essay "Security and Self, Reflection of a Fallen Realist," Ken Booth discusses how social interactions and natural psychological qualities influence the development of one's identity. It also ties one's identity to one's social status, emphasizing the importance of non-state identities being represented in diplomacy. Booth's post-positivist perspective invites us to consider security challenges in terms of their influence on individuals, who have different identities and responsibilities that socio-political actors may or may not share. Security challenges, according to Booth, and the theories that research them, are basically about people.

The 'Security as Emancipation Approach' (SAEA) emphasizes how time and location, as well as embodied individuals and embedded individuals in power structures, construct "objective reality" and define the impact and capability that a certain human will have when confronted with the security issue. This approach gives primacy to the embodied individual who has the potential to fulfill their needs and aspirations. Booth believes that the concept of individuality is at the heart of security issues and theories since it can only be completely understood and theorized from this perspective. He emphasizes ethnic, social, and gendered narratives as undeniable qualities in his security theorizing, extending well beyond the typical military and state-centric approaches.

Earlier I used to think that climate change only poses a security threat to the biosphere and states embedded in it. I never tried to see it from the lenses of the ‘self’. Climate has even worse repercussions for certain countries, groups, gender, and individuals that have been side-lined/neglected and have little to no resources at their disposal. Women are more vulnerable to climate change as the existing power structure is skewed and does not give much representation to the women. the participation of women in global climate governance and decision making is very less. Women make up a large percentage of disadvantaged communities that rely heavily on local natural resources for their survival, particularly in rural areas, where they are responsible for household water supply, energy for cooking and heating, and food security. Any consequences of climate are going to affect them severely as they are largely dependent on their environment and have very less resources at their disposal to wear the brunt of climate damage.

Another most affected people by climate change are those of the small island countries. Some small island states such as Fiji, the Maldives, and the Solomon have a minimal carbon footprint yet have already begun to feel the effects of climate change, including flooding, erosion, and the prospect of utter submersion in some cases. The countries are more vulnerable to climate change by the very fact of their existence around the globe. Their needs are often ignored as they are very small nations and do not hold much power and resources in the existing hierarchy and power structure.

The most vulnerable people at the hands of climate change are the tribals, who live in close contact with nature and are mostly dependent on it. Their lifestyle contributes in ‘no’ to ‘very little’ pollution but they are the worst hit. Excess GHG emissions mostly by the industrialized countries of the west have raised the earth's surface temperature, resulting in global warming. It has caused tribal people distress, increased their cost of living, and put their survival at risk, as well as decreased crop productivity, increased the incidence of crop illnesses, livestock, and humans, social stress, and conflict over resource sharing. The existing power structures do not take into account the needs of tribals. Tribals are given very little representation in the global climate talks and even inside the state their needs are often neglected.

References:

1. Booth, Ken. Security and Self: Reflections of a Fallen Realist. Routledge, 1997. 

2. Barla, Marcus. “Impacts of Climate Change on the Tribal Economy: A Study of Jharkhand State of India.” Proceedings of the International Conference on Poverty and Sustainable Development. 25 Sep 2019.https://tiikmpublishing.com/proceedings/index.php/icpsd/article/view/450#:~:text=It%20has%20caused%20discomfort%20for,climate%20change%20is%20human%20induced.

3. Elasha, Osman, Balgis. “Women…In the Shadow of Climate Change.”United Nations. Accessed on 3 May, 2022. https://www.un.org/en/chronicle/article/womenin-shadow-climate-change#:~:text=Climate%20change%20will%20be%20an,intimidation%2C%20human%20trafficking%20and%20rape.

4.“Small island nations threatened by climate change seek voice in U.N. negotiations”. NRP. October 23, 2021. https://www.npr.org/2021/10/23/1048723005/small-island-nations-threatened-by-climate-change-seek-voice-in-u-n-negotiations#:~:text=That's%20the%20small%20island%20nations,the%20threat%20of%20utter%20submersion