The role and significance of institutions in international security has become a key aspect of contemporary debates regarding security relations. Building upon an analysis of structures of knowledge, authority and legitimacy as social institutions, this paper argues that the realm of security politics as a whole can beneficially be understood not as uniquely resistant to the influence of institutions, but as constituted by institutions. To this end, it attempts to show how a clear understanding of institutions requires a move toward an appreciation of the significance of `institutionalization' and the role of `symbolic power' in political life, and argues that a theory of security institutions constructed along these lines provides useful insights for the analysis of international security structures.
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