Description
Undersea cable landing stations, often relegated to the sidelines in extant security studies literature, are pivotal components of global communication infrastructure and crucial in “making things international.” This paper aims to illuminate the active, agentic, and political role of non-human entities, specifically cable landing stations, in communications securitisation, prompting a re-evaluation of often-overlooked non-human actors in International Relations (IR). Contrary to the prevalent trend of prioritising discourse over materiality in security studies, this research, grounded in new materialist perspectives, scrutinises the technologically charged matter of cable landing stations. It challenges the anthropocentrism entrenched within IR and aims to provide a nuanced understanding of the agency embedded in these infrastructures, emphasising the materiality that often takes a backseat to discourse-focussed analyses. Through this exploration, the paper delves into the complexities of human and non-human interactions, offering a more profound comprehension of the multifaceted dynamics influencing global security considerations. Echoing sentiments from various critical security theorists, it advocates for a pronounced shift away from human-centric analytical paradigms and calls for the expansion of security studies' ontological register.
Keywords: International Security, Securitisation Theory, Actor-Network Theory, New Materialism, Non-Human Agency, Ontological Parochialism, Anthropocentrism, Ontology.
