The prominence of (in)security issues is rising, with the concept of (in)security intensely contested in discursive spaces. This thesis examines this dynamic within the Twitter debate surrounding the establishment of a police station at Kottbusser Tor in Berlin-Kreuzberg, a context marked by the intersections of gentrification, policing, criminalization, (in)securitization, and spatial production. The study explores how this specific (in)security discourse is shaped, analyzing the discursive and narrative systems that contribute to its formation.
Adopting a social constructivist and discourse-theoretical perspective, it views (in)security as a construct (re)produced through discursive processes of (in)securitization, positioning digital publics as critical spaces for addressing societal issues characterized by polyvocality and (ant)agonism.
A corpus of 715 tweets was analyzed using Critical Discourse Analysis, following Jäger’s framework, to understand the discursive construction of actors, space, and the police station, as well as the language of conflict related to (in)security. Findings reveal that the discourse extends beyond mere law enforcement presence, encompassing diverse perceptions of space, the agency of inhabitants, and intricate political processes. Two polarized (in)security discourses emerge, each marked by distinct features and narrative systems. The first, representing sympathizers and supporters of the police station, constructs Kotti as a site of criminality, legitimizing state intervention through narratives that emphasize the correlation between police presence and security. This discourse, infused with far-right lexicon, frames inhabitants as criminals, reinforcing an exclusionary solidarity between police and „ordinary citizens.“ Conversely, critics and opponents portray Kotti as a victim of systemic inequalities exacerbated by gentrification and state repression, arguing that the police represent a source of insecurity rather than safety and advocating for social solutions to social problems.
In summary, this thesis highlights the agonistic nature of the discourse, illustrating how factions construct their narratives of (in)security through divergent frameworks. While acknowledging limitations in representing lived experiences on Twitter, this research contributes to a nuanced understanding of inclusion, exclusion, and social order, emphasizing the contested nature of (in)security in both research and society. Future research might build on this analysis using methods such as social network analysis and visual content examination.