Revisiting the security-development nexus: Human security and the effects of IMF adjustment programs

Reinsberg, B. , Shaw, D. and Bujnoch, L. (2024) Revisiting the security-development nexus: Human security and the effects of IMF adjustment programs. Conflict Management and Peace Science, 41(1), pp. 72-95. (doi: 10.1177/07388942221111064)

Abstract

The concept of ‘human security’ holds promise of capturing the strong connections between economic development and personal security that has ushered in the debate about the ‘security−development nexus’ in policy circles. Human security is understood as the ability of states to protect the security of their citizens and to cater to their basic socioeconomic needs. However, the literature on human security is fragmented, leaving applied researchers without a workable definition and a convincing measurement strategy. Part of this problem is due to the fuzziness of the concept and the ambition to associate an ever-increasing set of dimensions with the concept, which renders empirical analysis moot. Following a review of the related literature, we collect measures aligning with ‘freedom from fear’ and ‘freedom from want’, representing the varied discourse on the human security concept. Employing confirmatory factor analysis on 11 indicators, we demonstrate the existence of a single latent factor and extract their common variation to generate a new Human Security Index. We validate the index by comparison against known proxies and related measures. We then present a first empirical application examining the human security implications of IMF programmes, finding that IMF programmes undermine human security, accounting for non-random selection into IMF programmes.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: This work was supported by the Gerda Henkel Foundation (grant ‘The human security implications of IMF programs’).
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Bujnoch, Dr Louis and Shaw, Mr Daniel and Reinsberg, Dr Bernhard
• Authors: Reinsberg, B., Shaw, D., and Bujnoch, L.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Politics
• Journal Name: Conflict Management and Peace Science
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• ISSN: 0738-8942
• ISSN (Online): 1549-9219
• Published Online: 06 July 2022
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2022 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Conflict Management and Peace Science 41(1):72–95
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License