A world turned upside down: reinforcing the symbolic order after the Vienna terrorist attack

Abstract

ABSTRACT Terrorist attacks do not just cause devastation and casualties, but also constitute a symbolic battlefield. Drawing on Bourdieu’s field analytical framework, this article suggests that a terrorist attack puts pressure on the symbolic underpinnings of the established social order. It irritates the taken-for-granted reality, and through the use of violence, brings a competing possible into the universe of discourse. Therefore, the counterterrorist response has a twofold reality. It serves not only to restore physical safety, but also to release symbolic pressure and thus, reinforce the symbolic underpinnings of the social order. Using the example of press conferences in the aftermath of the Vienna terrorist attack in 2020, this article examines the discursive moves through which state actors strive to release symbolic pressure imposed by the attack. Thus, the article lays bare the symbolic dimension of counterterrorism and contributes to its more nuanced understanding.