The symbolic politics of the state of exception: images and performances

Autor: Jan Christoph Suntrup
Rok vydání: 2018
Předmět:
Zdroj: Zeitschrift für Politikwissenschaft. 28:565-580
ISSN: 2366-2638
1430-6387
Popis: This article discusses selected examples of the state of exception’s symbolic embeddedness and symbolic performances related to it. After suggesting a revision of a simplistic understanding of the term “symbolic politics” as developed by Murray Edelman and others who confine symbolic action mainly to the realm of deception and manipulation, the symbolic force of rhetoric in exceptional times will be demonstrated by looking at recent examples from the French context. In a next step, the article will shed light on typical rituals of community-building, reassurance, and resilience after terrorist attacks before turning to the staging of political leadership in times of emergency. Moreover, the ambivalent and controversial use of images in the course of the “War on Terror” will be addressed. Lastly, the symbolic side of securitization animated by emergency narratives, which comes to the fore in the building of new security walls and especially in the military reconstruction of large cities, will be discussed.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
Externí odkaz: