Securitisation gaps: Towards ideational understandings of state weakness

Abstract This article contributes a securitisation-based, interpretive approach to state weakness. The long-dominant positivist approaches the phenomenon have been extensively criticised for wide range of deficiencies. Responding Lemay-Hébert's suggestion ‘Durkheimian’, ideational-interpretive as possible alternative, I base my conceptualisation on Migdal's view weakness emerging from ‘state-in-society's’ contested ‘strategies survival’. argue that several recent developments in Securitisation Theory enable it capture this ‘collective knowledge’ state: move away state-centrism, development contextualised ‘sociological’ version, linkages made between securitisation and legitimacy, acknowledgment ‘securitisations’ Bourdieusian field. introduce concept ‘securitisation gaps’ – divergences security discourses practices society aimed at capturing role state, operationalised along two logics (reactive/substitutive) depending whether they emerge securitisations action or inaction three intensities (latent, manifest, violent), extent which involve challenges authority. is briefly illustrated through changing gaps Republic Lebanon during 2019–20 ‘October Uprising’.