Manchester University Press
4 Identity categories constructed and produced by the Democratic Security Policy
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Josefina A. Echavarria
Abstract
This chapter reviews the discursive effects that the Democratic Security Policy (DSP) has on the construction and production of political identities. It investigates the discursive formations which characterise ‘state’, ‘nationals’ and ‘others’, and the material practices that hail collective subjects to adopt those specific subject positions. By spreading in/security practices throughout society, the DSP discloses how the power of in/security is a force that mobilises and produces. It became the instrument that enabled the exceptionality of war to become the normalcy of politics. It is shown that peace appears to be a derivative of security. Since Colombia appears to be a democratic nation under the threat of terrorism, peace and politics have to be sacrificed until security is achieved. A secure peace is one of the effects of the logic of in/security depicted in the DSP.
Abstract
This chapter reviews the discursive effects that the Democratic Security Policy (DSP) has on the construction and production of political identities. It investigates the discursive formations which characterise ‘state’, ‘nationals’ and ‘others’, and the material practices that hail collective subjects to adopt those specific subject positions. By spreading in/security practices throughout society, the DSP discloses how the power of in/security is a force that mobilises and produces. It became the instrument that enabled the exceptionality of war to become the normalcy of politics. It is shown that peace appears to be a derivative of security. Since Colombia appears to be a democratic nation under the threat of terrorism, peace and politics have to be sacrificed until security is achieved. A secure peace is one of the effects of the logic of in/security depicted in the DSP.
Chapters in this book
- Front matter i
- Dedication v
- Contents vii
- Preface ix
- Acknowledgements xv
- List of abbreviations xviii
- List of tables xx
- Introduction 1
- 1 An overview of the Colombian context 18
- 2 Theorising security discourses 44
- 3 The end of peace and the beginning of in/security 85
- 4 Identity categories constructed and produced by the Democratic Security Policy 122
- 5 Resistance and peaces 177
- 6 Final remarks 230
- References 236
- Index 255
Chapters in this book
- Front matter i
- Dedication v
- Contents vii
- Preface ix
- Acknowledgements xv
- List of abbreviations xviii
- List of tables xx
- Introduction 1
- 1 An overview of the Colombian context 18
- 2 Theorising security discourses 44
- 3 The end of peace and the beginning of in/security 85
- 4 Identity categories constructed and produced by the Democratic Security Policy 122
- 5 Resistance and peaces 177
- 6 Final remarks 230
- References 236
- Index 255
