Legitimation and delegitimation of police violence through rationalization on Twitter: the case of 2018 national university strike in Colombia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7203/KAM.24.27591Keywords:
Colombia, discourses, legitimacy, police violence, rationalization, Twitter
Abstract
This article examines how references to ratio
nality and reason are used on social media in order to legitimize or delegitimize Colombian police violence targeting protesters. To this end, it analyzes 8,421 tweets, collected based on the hashtag #FuerzaEstebanMosquera, where police violence at the University of Cauca in December 2018 is legitimized or delegitimized. Located within the Critical Discourse Studies (CDS), this research especially focuses on the specific discursive mechanisms and cultural references that were used in these tweets. Conceptualizing the legitimacy and illegitimacy of violence as a fluid state instead of a fixed categorization, this research suggests that legitimation and delegitimation of violence are continuous processes, which means that the legitimacy or illegitimacy of a violent act can be transformed by making cultural references and using adequate discursive strategies to the context. By examining social media discourses about the perceived legitimacy and illegitimacy of police violence, this article aims to contribute to coming up with ways to promote a culture of peace and nonviolence.
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Author Biography
Serhat Tutkal, El Colegio de México
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