Definition
The process through which a political actor frames an issue as an existential threat to justify extraordinary security measures.
Theoretical Context
The Copenhagen School explains how an issue is framed as an existential threat and accepted by an audience as warranting extraordinary measures. Analysis distinguishes the securitizing actor, threatened referent object, audience and exceptional response; not everything called a security problem is securitization.
Key Thinkers
Barry Buzan
Ole Wæver