Security sciences and their research areas

ABSTRACT

The specificity of the 21 st century filled with economic and social problems, acts of terror as well as armed conflicts downrightly necessitates undertaking the research in the field of security sciences.However, each time defining a subject of scientific research is of the utmost importance in order to systemize research works and mainly concretize interests.Such the aim was chosen by the author of the current article who, while presenting the orientations of individual scientific theoreticians and researchers dealing with security issues, answers the subject matter question: What does constitute the subject of the research in security sciences?The author's inquiries were preceded by the explanation of the types of security and its scope within individual cases, which includes the essence of national and international security.In the further part of the article the author's attention was focused on the sphere of methodology in security sciences.The author notices that the subject of research in the security science is of multidimensional character hence explanation, description, analyzing, assessing and forecasting the consequences of ongoing processes and events in the security sphere, together with initiation of activities which serve for ensuring security, require applying the knowledge from various scientific disciplines, domains and fields.In the following part of the article the attempt to define the subject of research in security sciences and drawing the conclusions within that field was undertaken.The author cites the orientations by A. Dawidczyk and T. Jemiolo according to whom the subject of research in security sciences is defined as the threat coming from human surroundings and all the activities aiming at ensuring and maintaining security for a man.The article is summarized by the conclusions where it was determined that in security sciences, the security, its components, ratio, level and relations with respect to the subject of research are studied.

Introduction
The aim of the article is to clarify the subject of research in security sciences.However, it is to be stated that the issues raised in the article are of general character, depicting a certain area within the field under discussion.
The research problem adopted in the article is covered by the question: what does constitute the subject of research in security sciences?
It was assumed that the division of science disciplines, which was implemented in 2011, posed genuine difficulties in unambiguous understanding of the scope that is covered by the interest of the security and defense science.For that reason, the author recognized the need to study the available subject matter literature to re-define the area of study of security sciences.
Accomplishing the research objective and solving the research problem was possible owing to the application of theoretical research methods.
It is to be noticed that the issue of security has always constituted a basic element of needs sought by a human.Nevertheless, the overly generalization by simplifying these needs to the level of an individual is to be avoided since similar requirements are observed in internal and international relations of individual states [Gulczynski 2007].
The current geopolitical situation, religious conflicts or spreading out recession prompt that their existence automatically forms perfunctory definition of the 21 st century.Global threats and constant care related to security of an individual have nearly always constituted the genesis for an attempt of defining and understanding their essence, as well as recognizing solutions which reduce their influence on social life and states' functioning.It is to be borne in mind that the ordering-regulating function is a classical function of a state administration, which somewhat ensures that predicated by the formal Inspector General of the Bundeswehr and the Chairman of NATO Military Committee -K.Nauman thesis: 'security is not everything but without security everything is nothing1 , is exceptionally topical [Nikulin 2007].It is another form to reiterate the fact that protection of the order, which provides the citizens with conditions for free subsistence, against internal and external threats is the prime role of a state.
Strengthening and forming the states' sense of security itself or even particular social groups depend mainly on currently possessed knowledge regarding surroundings and particularly threats occurring in it.The theory shaped in this manner underlines the essence of the information whose reliability and credibility may specify the sense and, looking further, the scope and the direction of planned preventative and prophylactic activities.The logic thinking itself indicates that conducting thorough recognition of the surrounding reality is a key for determining forms and methods of the planned ac-tivity aiming at effective response to existing threats.The period when a real threat or a crisis does not occur and the assessed level of noticeable security is the highest is used for the improvement and primarily modeling the security state of individuals and their environment.
However, in order to support the aforementioned arguments, which allows for allaying the doubts of potential agnostics, application of the features of research methodology in security considerations seems to be indispensable [Cf.Pytkowski 1985] 2 .Whereas the direction determined that way even enforces the need for clarification of the subject of research planned to be conducted.

Types of security and its scope
In the theory of security, it is impossible to miss the presence of two contradictory phenomena, namely threats and challenges.In any case challenges are the results of an existing crisis, which generates the essential demands for undertaking adequate anti-crisis measures, aiming at its overcoming thus returning to the security state.For that reason, the acute emphasizing of the above-mentioned threats and challenges becomes essential during the research of a single security dimension.Such the procedure ensures the initial objectivity in assessing what the phenomenon of security really is [Pokruszynski 2010].
The dictionary of social sciences terms security as a synonym of reliability, which in simplified form means the lack of a threat or preparedness for protection against it.Referring to the afore-mentioned, it is to be directly stated that security constitutes the paramount need of a human, society or even states and existing international systems, and its lack leads to deprivation of the stability and the sense of danger resulting from e.g. a crisis situation.Normally in literature covering security issues, notably within social studies, security is addressed as survive potential, sovereignty, identity or guarantee of development.
To systemize the substantive scope, particular types of security are brought down to specific planes, which enable studying security in a clear and classified manner.Hence, the object-spatial plane based on which national and international security is built and subject plane underpinning the basis for economic, political, social and military security are distinguished.The object-subject plane consisting of psychosocial, external and internal security is situated only in the background.The time plane that allows conducting the division of security development into epochs is classified as the last one [Kwiatkowski and Kwiatkowska-Drozdz 2005].
The presented considerations regarding the essence of security make it possible to develop the definition and determine the detailed scope of national and international security.
Therefore, national security [Cf.Gryz 2013] 3 can be considered in various aspects.As for social aspect, security creates for citizens, local society or more generally a state the primal, paramount need and value and simultaneously the primary goal of activities on all organizational levels.In terms of functional aspect, national security is nothing other than a basic national mission of society and its state organization, which aims at achieving the following objectives.The first of them includes defense and protection of national interests and values against existing and presumed threats as the essential measures to create conditions for achieving subsequent objectives.The second goal in this case is granting the momentum for the process of creation the omnifarious conditions assuring the optimal development and opposition against the impact of the social evolution, civilizational challenges or general existential changeability [Pokruszynski 2010].
The literary approach to national security, particularly to the fact that it stems from natural social demands, causes that it is frequently associated with the security of a state.Inter alia for that reason ensuring and maintaining national security constitutes the crucial element of a single state policy.It is also to be added that national security is a national objective regularly compared with the protection of the autonomy and political integrity.However, national security is neither equal to internal nor external security.Only these two spheres form the integral whole of national security structure in the existing reality.In science, external security is used to analyze phenomena occurring in the international field and pacts concluded in relation to the appearance of individual threats or even crises.The sense of external security postulates a state's need to be secure in the event of a possible conflict.It is based on the persuasion that a state possesses a guarantee of receiving direct support from the allies' side in case of an armed assault, economic, political, cultural or ideological pressure or other aggression.As the final observation, it appears relevant that external security should mainly be based on strong and credible international relations and durable alliance [Pokruszynski 2010].
In turn, international security, as its name indicates, includes much more extensive content than in the case of national security.It is applied not only for determining external security issues of individual states but also for introducing guarantors of the international system's existence and functioning [Balcerowicz 2002].International security is composed of necessary measures and institutions of military (e.g. military pacts, arms control and disarmament), economic (e.g.international trade and economic sanctions), political (e.g.regional treaties and peaceful conflicts overcoming) and social-cultural (e.g.human rights and social heritage) character.
It is to be borne in mind that international security is not a mathematical resultant and is not formed from the sum of securities of the states that create a given multinational environment.This might be attributed to the fact that it entails both existential values of individual states and common values of the international security system, which include: stability, international order, peace, democracy level and ability to cooperate.
Reference to the general definition of security seems to be reasonable at this point, stating therefore that international security is both a condition and the process in which states and created in this manner international society as an integrated whole able to accomplish assumed objectives in the unobstructed way.It is essential to underline the fact that the international security does not manifest the tendency of stagnating but, on the contrary, is of the nature of intensive process, which undergoes and evolves across space and time [Pokruszynski 2010].
International security is present in all areas of states' activities and for that reason its structure is so close to the activity structure of the very entity.At this point, aside common military security it is relatively easy to recognize demographic, geopolitical, ecological, economical, information, institutional, cultural and even social security.The integral subjects that can be observed in the international security sphere mainly involve: -interests of individual states as well as operational and strategic objectives resulting from them; -security conditionings (aspects which support achieving of assumed objectives), threats (direct or indirect -negatively affecting an entity) and challenges (all kinds of deliberations in resolving security matters); -operational (current) and strategic (long-term) plans to create security; -security systems (states' resources detached to execute operational and strategic plans) [Kuzniar and Lachowski 2003].

Areas of methodological research in security sciences
The progressive social development and accompanying complicated relations and circumstances appearing in the process of widely understood globalization prompt extending the range of mutual interactions of various elements in systems such as society, technology and natural environment.This all means that in the surrounding reality the majority of elements is directly linked to security issues.In such a manner, colloquially speaking in a trivial way, security is of overriding weight in one's life and concurrently becomes an elementary value of society functioning.There is no denying that the need of the sense of security governs an individual's actions in the traditional spheres of social life.For example, the aim of struggles undertaken in the economic sphere focuses on creation of conditions for sustainable functioning of economy of a given state, but not on the very process of creating economic security for nuclear families or a citizen.A corresponding situation is observed in sociology, where the analysis of functioning of various social groups or the entire society, their creation or disintegration on the contrary, ought to allow determining elementary rules whose observance empowers the sense of security.The function of the above-mentioned rules observance is also remedying the causes of possible conflicts through determination of guidelines conducive to security, with coinstantaneous excluding factors, which in the future can constitute a destructive element [Pokruszynski 2010].
Referring to research results of scientists dealing with security issues and implementing personal ideas, it can be concluded with sadness that the 21 st century does not represent an example of an organized international cohesion.The global social system and the security system have still been in the period of transition whose main features are as follows: uncertainty, lack of balance and volatility characterized by the most destructive qualities.
Moreover, progressive complexity of human functioning in society and very conditions of his/her being, including the increasing number of factors which affect security of people, does not help to fully understand what really security is, and primarily how actually it should be formed and how significantly the sense of security influences one's existence [Pytkowski 1985].
All the data cited so far result from the logic analysis of events that undergo in each social system or an organization.Thus, the special attention devoted to security research methodology, mainly to its cognitional procedures, is significant.
To recapitulate, assuming that the subject matter in security science is of multidimensional character, the explanation, description, analyzing, assessing and forecasting consequences of ongoing processes and events in the security field, as well as initiation of activities aimed at ensuring security, require the application of knowledge from various scientific disciplines, domains and fields.Such approach positively affects both creation of the security theory and independence of the research methodology.Essentially, they are used to obtain detailed answers to the questions asked within the security domain.

Research subject
The division, modified in 2011, of scientific and artistic disciplines, science and art domains as well knowledge areas [Cf.Rozporzadzenie… 2011]4 automatically excluded military sciences from functioning, thus creating simultaneously two completely new disciplines, i.e. security and defense sciences [Cf.Rozporzadzenie… 2011]5 .
While searching for the answer to the addressed research problem, it is to be stated that the implementation of the new discipline created an implicit need for determination of its subject of research, a fortiori as this measure is the first and elementary stage of a research procedure [Baturo et al. 2011]6 .
Conducting the in-depth analysis of the subject research the conclusion can be drawn that it refers to objects and phenomena regarding which the scientific research is to be carried out [Maszke 2004], e.g.phenomenon of unemployment in Poland in the years 2010-2015 or methodical competencies of lecturers in Military Academies in 2015.In order to understand this issue, the notion of the subject of research in security sciences developed by M. Cieslarczyk is worth analyzing: 'the subject of research in security sciences is constituted by the phenomenon of security as well as related to it facts (events), processes and more detailed phenomena in the area of security, in its various subject dimensions and relations between them, examined in reference to concrete objects from the perspective of which the security is being analyzed, with the impact of environmental conditions taken into account at the same time.It is obvious that relations between the subject and its surrounding (environment), the character of the surrounding as well as the features of the particular object will also form the subject of research' [Cieslarczyk 2009].
It is also to be borne in mind that the subject of research must be specified from the time and space perspective.The space parameter represents a compilation of information regarding the location of a certain community, appearance of a given phenomenon, whereas the time parameter applies to a particular year or a period between the commencement and accomplishment of research.
According to A. Dawidczyk i T. Jemiolo the subjects of research in security sciences are all threats coming from human surrounding and any activities which are to ensure and maintain security for an individual.According to the subject matter researchers, a human is to be considered multidimensionally in the general security theory.At first, this context covers both an individual as well as a society with its social structure and existing hierarchy taken into consideration.Therefore, the symbiosis between a human and the surroundings, which regrettably is not immune from threats, can be observed at a glance.A human is even forced to be able to fight and counter against those threats, adopting the most effective course of action that results from the analysis of a current situation.Moreover, the authors suggest that the methodology used in security research should be understood only in practical terms and focused on the selection of research methods, creation of new theories and development of new security concepts as a result [Jemiolo and Dawidczyk 2008].
Therefore, contemporarily the security theory covers: human, societies, communities, states, their organizational structures, operating and development strategies and a planning system when it comes to the use of forces and resources in times of peace, crisis and war [Dawidczyk et al. 2006].
The results of research conducted by J. Swiniarski and W. Chojnacki who analyzed security issue from the civilization science and cybernetic-technical knowledge on security and the then military science point of view constitute subsequent worthwhile conclusions.The researchers associate security with cybernetic construction of such systems, which are by nature characterized by reliability or its high index.According to the authors and security theory followers, based on identification security with reliability, its roots lie in the theory and practice of various scientific disciplines, among others, such as: cybernetics, systems and reliability theories as well as sociology [Swiniarski and Chojnacki 2007].
R. Wroblewski is of similar opinion when considering in his studies that a formal subject decides on a scientific method applied.Furthermore, the author believes that as far as security is concerned the effective national security systems are a formal subject, and they ought to be studied as regard guarantees behind the conditions of the society's survival and development.The science under discussion focuses on social practice and designing is its social identifier.According to R. Wroblewski's opinion the goals of security science should be aimed at adequate cognitively prepared designing and creating of efficient national security systems.Based on own experiences coming from the analysis of the national security system, the researcher recognizes remarks, deficiencies, shortcomings and faults in it, which directly negatively affect the general efficiency of the system.To reach the reasons of the mentioned state of affairs, the author searches for the basis in contemporary operational theories of national security, formulating a clear research program [Wroblewski 2010].
A. Glen's views are also worth noting since he believes that contemporarily existing security systems in military and non-military dimensions and their functioning on different organizational levels constitute the subject of research in security sciences.In the author's view, these systems cover by their structure the activity of state, government and self-government institutions as well as private entrepreneurs or even social organizations (Fig. 1) [Glen 2010].Glen is convinced that the research on security should be applied to the creation of the theoretical basis for the development of contemporary national and international security systems and other systems existing in the security sphere.He suggests the national security sciences should be placed among humanistic and empiric sciences finding their origins in the aspect of subject of research in the sciences on: state and law, managing organizations, politics as well as international relations.The author underlines that security sciences are to be regarded as real sciences -empiric (induction) where dominant role is played by applied research.However, in the predominant groups of research, mainly those devoted to recognition of cognitive fundaments of national security, conducting the basic research with the application of deductive methods (mathematic-logic) seems to be reasonable.Concurrently, the author indicates the promotion of exercises as a common model of reality study in security scientific research [Glen 2010].
A. Glen also states that in security science the complete access to empiricism is almost impossible, which forces security researchers to employ a methodic measure, consisting in replacing undertaken military and non-military activities in national security by models that create scientific practice in security sciences [Glen 2010].
Contrary to A. Glen, S. Zajas convinces that security sciences should mainly cover the totality of security issues but only in the non-military dimension [Zajas 2010].
Another approach to security sciences is represented by P. Sienkiewicz, who states that they incorporate the theory and engineering of system security.Two basic research trends are distinguished by the researcher, namely the creation of theoretical grounds for security of technical and social systems and activities focused on security systems' designing.This designing reflects also the creation of security and risk management systems with the particular attention paid to crisis situations.The author emphasizes the need for the division of research areas of various sciences focused on security issues [Sienkiewicz and Swieboda 2010].
In his inquires oriented at defining the subject of research in security sciences, A.
Czuprynski distinguishes two elements: the subject and object of research.The features of a set of objects as well as features and dependencies occurring between them are determined as the subject of research (Fig. 2), whereas the social reality of a given domain or discipline is called the object of research [Wisniewski 2011].Summing up, it is to be stated that the articulated division of the specialties does not exist in security sciences.It results, among others, from the fact that security sciences still constitute the developing scientific discipline in which the ultimate cognitive boundaries have not been delineated.Moreover, the science does not have developed research methods, which causes that it should continuously search for the contents of its research and appropriate test procedures [Ziarko 2010].Engaging methodologists of various scientific disciplines into the research process is the 'remedy' for achieving the satisfactory results.In this context J. Gryz sees that despite passage of hundreds of years since the creation of the first security theories, it still remains the relatively young and not completely shaped field of knowledge, which triggers obvious discrepancies in the approach promoted by theoreticians and practitioners, and the security theories in this case appear only as dependent on the theory of national and international societies' security, management, theory of politics as well as international relations.Existing methodological inefficiencies of the security domain somewhat oblige to apply the substantive acquis of sociology, management, political sciences and the use of solutions resulting from the achievements of those sciences [Ziarko 2010].
The selection of the research area in scientific inquiries consists mainly in the typology of issues and phenomena to be studied in the relevant field.Therefore, it is to be again underlined that the subject of research in security sciences, as the condition ensuring military and non-military security with regard to threats and challenges of the 21 st century, is formed by the adequately defined challenges and threats.However, their research conducted on the basis of prevailing paradigms and rules arising from them not always contribute to achieving the assumed result.Nonetheless, they are initially explained with the set principle, based on the range of acceptable solutions as well as the methods owing to which they can be achieved.It seems to be obvious that registered as events, they require the theory to be expanded in the form of matching it with the facts which transform anomalies into foreseeable events [Dlugosz 2013].
Due to the fact that the existing phenomena or foreseen events can be explained by not yet fully developed theories, defining the subject of research will also be come down to determination of the role of anomalies in the creation of the military and nonmilitary security [Dlugosz 2013].

Conclusion
Security being the component of social science represents the integral part of the social system and incorporates the isolated sphere of social phenomena as the subject of its research.The problem addressed in the article defines in very general terms the subject of research that is a human, social life and its surroundings in social studies.
The inference process in the conducted considerations is mainly related to veracity of presented and applied scientific theories, among others by Dawidczyk, Glen, Jemiolo and Cieslarczyk.Generally, it can be stated that the addressed contents serve for the identification of the disparities in research on security between knowledge and ignorance and searching for sources of this ignorance.
Under this condition, considering the contents of particular official theories to be true and on the basis of his awareness of understanding security and assumed correctness of his own thought process, the author of the article noted that the content of the emphasized conclusions includes following theses: 1.The methodology of security research indicates that the interdisciplinary approach should be applied in the proposed research solutions.2. Contemporary challenges and threats, characterized by a high changeability, enforce scientific revolution in security sciences as one of the conditions ensuring military and non-military security in the future.
3. Security science enables systemizing the principles of security research, including appropriate determination of the subject of research.The system-based principle should be considered as the primary one.This principle allows for examination of a single phenomenon in this field as a complex system.Further, last but not least, there is the interlinkage principle existing that recognizes the world as the one whole and its parts as inextricably linked with each other.Another one is the principle of fundamental conditioning which focuses on the identification of the main dependencies and relations directly affecting security, which additionally permits the elimination of impingements not having a significant influence on the functioning of a given system [Jemiolo and Dawidczyk 2008].4. The subject of research answers the question: what is being tested?In this case the simple but simultaneously the most appropriate answer is the statement -security, its components, the ratio, the level and relations with respect to the subject of research.5.The subject of research in security sciences involves the totality of security that is its level, existing threats, possibilities in a given field, environment and time, planning, comparison of the attitude to the security problem through the prism of two separate objects, reaction to a crisis state etc. 6.The multidimensional notion of the subject of research provides the complete possibility to strengthen and update the possessed knowledge.The number of threats constantly increases along with the ongoing technological development, foreseen threats become the reality and accepted permanent and universal solutions are assessed as useless ones.For these reasons, among others, striving for continuous improvement of the state, which security is, is of the utmost importance.
Within the continuation of the aforementioned conclusions, the author yet again wishes to draw the attention to the division of the scientific disciplines of 2011, which defines security as the notion significantly broader than defense being, in fact, its component.Therefore, having assumed that defense is the element of security the adopted classification of security and defense sciences begins to raise doubts as to the separate and independent functioning.This dilemma causes that an individual who decides to conduct research on security frequently encounters the so-called technical problem associated with the impediments in obtaining the certainty with regard to defining the correctness of the subject of research.
With the reference to the above, it is allowed to assume that it leads researchers in the field of defense sciences to the analogous conclusions, however their tangible confirmation requires the separate and deeper considerations.
Tadeusz Kosciuszko Military Academy of Land Forces in Wroclaw and the National Defense University in Warsaw.He has been serving in the Military Police for 12 years, conducting the tasks both in the country and abroad.National security issues, geopolitics, management and professional development of the Polish Armed Forces' soldiers are the author's main areas of scientific interests.

Fig. 1 .
Fig. 1.Subject of security sciences according to A. GlenSource: Own study.

Fig. 2 .
Fig. 2. Subject of research in security sciences according to A. CzuprynskiSource: Own study.