"Policing as a Practice of Categorisation": Emerging Results from the Regular and Riot Police in Germany.

When interacting with citizens, police officers differentiate them by ascribing age, class, deservingness, deviancy, gender, legal classifications, regional descent, race/culture/ethnicity, religion, speech proficiency, and other categories. These categorisation practices take place in asymmetrical power relations and can lead to serious consequences for the people categorised. The presentation will explore which categories police officers make relevant – and thereby produce – in their everyday work, reflecting on their relationality and impact. Jan Beek draws on ethnographic team research on the regular police, focusing on the contradictory understanding of situations by police officers and youths. Rachel Etse will present first impressions of her ethnography of the riot police, exploring differentiation practices in the context of deportations.