Functionings and Failures: Challenges to Human Security as a Local Capability

Abstract

This thesis focusses on the perspectives of community level actors in Liberia regarding their efforts to pursue locally valued human security objectives. It utilizes a theoretical framework based on human security, the capabilities approach, and the Copenhagen school of securitization to evaluate local actor agency and how that agency is impacted by imbalanced power relations with national and international level actors. The results of this qualitative study suggest that community level actors view themselves being empowered as the primary agents in achieving certain human security functionings; however, the ability of local actors to achieve higher level functionings is highly dependent on their recognition as legitimate securitizing agents by more powerful actors and potential partner groups. Furthermore, it finds that local actor agency can be undermined when social reasoning processes that determine local values exclude certain segments of society.