The Role of Dehumanization in Legitimation and Delegitimation of State Violence in Colombia

Abstract

This article examines tweets about state violence targeting student protesters at the University of Cauca in December 2018. Its objective is accounting for the role of dehumanization of actors in legitimizing and delegitimizing state violence. It analyzes 8421 tweets to unravel specific mechanisms of dehumanization based on following sub-categories: (a) animalization, (b) classism, (c) racism, (d) religious discrimination, (e) sanitation, (f) sexism, (g) wishing for or celebrating injuries, and h) other. It shows how dehumanization a) attributes lack of rationality, morality, or agency to social actors; (b) trivializes their lives; and (c) defines them as sources of contamination. After arguing that dehumanizing discourse makes it extremely difficult to establish dialogue and promote nonviolence, it suggests future research on possible ways of re-humanization of dehumanized actors.