19th General Meeting of the European Association of Social Psychology 2023

Activity: Participating in or organising an eventParticipation in conference

Description

Title of Symposium: Dynamics of polarisation beyond bipartisan divides

Symposium abstract:
For many years, research on political polarisation was dominated by US-based studies with a focus on bipartisan polarisation (i.e., the ever-increasing animosity between Republican and Democrat politicians and their party supporters). As research in the field has expanded to include other socio-political contexts, a more nuanced understanding of polarisation was developed. Across five talks, this symposium showcases research where polarisation is conceptualised as a complex process characterised by dimensions of (opinion and structural) differentiation and dynamics of collective identity development and performance. Our presentations highlight the importance of both intragroup and intergroup influence dynamics in polarisation at the same time considering the role of online platforms and media consumption in relation to highly divisive political issues such as Brexit in the UK and gun control in the US. Finally, the symposium illustrates the increasing methodological diversity and interdisciplinarity within this exciting area of research (including social network analyses, cross-sectional survey, qualitative analyses, and computational modelling approaches).

Accepted as symposium talks:

How intragroup dialogue polarises and the potential for disruptions to challenge this ( Sandra Obradović , Holly Draper )
The role of charismatic influencers in polarisation - an agent-based modelling approach ( Ana-Maria Bliuc, John Betts, Mioara Cristea )
Opinion Differentiation and Structural Differentiation: Polarisation as Opinion Distribution and Structural Fragmentation of the Public ( Yoshihisa Kashima, Namkje Koudenburg, Chantal D’Amore )
Becoming “us” in digital spaces: How online users creatively and strategically exploit social media affordances to build up social identity ( Adrian Lüders, Alejandro Dinkelberg , Mike Quayle )
Gun control in the US: The relationship between media consumption and collective action ( Daniel Courtney, Ana-Maria Bliuc )
Period3 Jul 2023
Event typeConference
LocationKrakow, PolandShow on map
Degree of RecognitionInternational

Keywords

  • polarization
  • political orientation
  • ideology

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Social Psychology