Microanalyses of situational disruption and reorganisation at the Capitol

Abstract

This article examines the storming of the US Capitol on 6 January 2021 from a microsociological perspective, focusing on situational transitions and processes of reorganisation in collective action. Using video-based microanalysis and the rewind method, it reveals those brief moments of irritation that are usually obscured in linear depictions of escalation. The analysis is based on extensive audiovisual material, including recordings made by the demonstrators themselves. The empirical vignettes show how collective order initially stabilises through rhythmic synchronisation on the outside of the Capitol. The surprisingly successful intrusion into the building erodes this order, orientation is lost and situational openness arises. The previously seemingly closed collective disintegrates into space-specific scenes with different logics of action. The article argues that space is not just a backdrop. Rather, space is a structuring factor. It has a significant influence on social events.