Individual Assignment: Applying Ontological Security to the Manifesto
‘The Great Replacement’
22/23 Semester 1 - Security Challenges in a Globalizing World
Student Number: s300000
Word Count: 2924
, 1. Introduction
Individuals of the globalized society are often faced with complicated anxieties that raises questions
on the meaning of life or existence in itself. Reasons of anxiety vary depending on the individual
situation, from general stress to pressure at work, unemployment, financial trouble, and so on.
People instinctively look for methods to escape from anxiety, both consciously and unconsciously.
In a nutshell, ontological security refers to the unconsciously felt sense of security.
A white supremacist and extremist gunman opened fire on two mosques in Christchurch,
New Zealand, on March 15, 2019, in broad daylight. There were 51 fatalities and 40 injuries. This
paper makes an attempt to explain these shootings by examining the manifesto of the perpetrator
through using concept of ontological security. The main research question of this paper is
therefore: to what extent can the Christchurch-shootings be explained by the perpetrator’s sense of ontological
insecurity, based on his manifest The Great Replacement?
In order to answer this question, firstly, a brief literature review of ontological security is
given to illustrate the scholarly debate and understand its key elements. Secondly, based on the
reviewed literature, three key drivers of ontological insecurity are selected and operationalized with
indicators. Thirdly, selected key drivers will be used to perform a qualitative analysis on the
perpetrator’s manifesto via coding which can be found in the Annex 1. Fourthly, relevant quotes
that have been coded for each driver will be discussed. Lastly, a conclusion will be given with an
answer to the research question.
2. Literature Review on Ontological Security / Insecurity
Laing (1960) created the idea of ontological security with a psychoanalytical approach, and Giddens
(1984, 1990, 1991) later continuously developed it using a sociological approach. This idea has
since been studied from a variety of angles by academics from various disciplines, and it is not
constrained to a particular definition or interpretation. It makes sense to review pertinent literature
in order to comprehend how each academic interprets ontological security differently. When
introducing ontological security, academics frequently center around Giddens' meanings, referring
to his terms.
According to Rich (2021, p. 2) Giddens (1984) initially defined ontological security as
“confidence or trust that the natural and social worlds are as they appear to be, including the basic
existential parameters of self and social identity” (p. 375). This definition was later expanded by
adding “a sense of continuity and order in events, including those not directly within the perceptual
environment of the individual” (1990, pp. 124-125). Briefly, his definitions refer to a person's
unconscious emotional sense of security, emphasizing the importance of social narratives, routines,
2
‘The Great Replacement’
22/23 Semester 1 - Security Challenges in a Globalizing World
Student Number: s300000
Word Count: 2924
, 1. Introduction
Individuals of the globalized society are often faced with complicated anxieties that raises questions
on the meaning of life or existence in itself. Reasons of anxiety vary depending on the individual
situation, from general stress to pressure at work, unemployment, financial trouble, and so on.
People instinctively look for methods to escape from anxiety, both consciously and unconsciously.
In a nutshell, ontological security refers to the unconsciously felt sense of security.
A white supremacist and extremist gunman opened fire on two mosques in Christchurch,
New Zealand, on March 15, 2019, in broad daylight. There were 51 fatalities and 40 injuries. This
paper makes an attempt to explain these shootings by examining the manifesto of the perpetrator
through using concept of ontological security. The main research question of this paper is
therefore: to what extent can the Christchurch-shootings be explained by the perpetrator’s sense of ontological
insecurity, based on his manifest The Great Replacement?
In order to answer this question, firstly, a brief literature review of ontological security is
given to illustrate the scholarly debate and understand its key elements. Secondly, based on the
reviewed literature, three key drivers of ontological insecurity are selected and operationalized with
indicators. Thirdly, selected key drivers will be used to perform a qualitative analysis on the
perpetrator’s manifesto via coding which can be found in the Annex 1. Fourthly, relevant quotes
that have been coded for each driver will be discussed. Lastly, a conclusion will be given with an
answer to the research question.
2. Literature Review on Ontological Security / Insecurity
Laing (1960) created the idea of ontological security with a psychoanalytical approach, and Giddens
(1984, 1990, 1991) later continuously developed it using a sociological approach. This idea has
since been studied from a variety of angles by academics from various disciplines, and it is not
constrained to a particular definition or interpretation. It makes sense to review pertinent literature
in order to comprehend how each academic interprets ontological security differently. When
introducing ontological security, academics frequently center around Giddens' meanings, referring
to his terms.
According to Rich (2021, p. 2) Giddens (1984) initially defined ontological security as
“confidence or trust that the natural and social worlds are as they appear to be, including the basic
existential parameters of self and social identity” (p. 375). This definition was later expanded by
adding “a sense of continuity and order in events, including those not directly within the perceptual
environment of the individual” (1990, pp. 124-125). Briefly, his definitions refer to a person's
unconscious emotional sense of security, emphasizing the importance of social narratives, routines,
2
