This seminar introduces students to the study of political and affective polarization, with a focus on how polarization shapes social life beyond the ballot box. Rather than organizing the course by country, we explore polarization through key thematic areas, allowing for cross-national comparisons and deeper reflection on how political identities interact with everyday experiences.
Topics include:
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What is political and affective polarization?
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Drivers of polarization: moral, ethnic, institutional, and identity-based factors
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Homophily and political sorting in dating, friendship, and family life
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Political polarization in the workplace and cooperation
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Media systems, echo chambers, and the role of traditional vs. digital media
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Polarization in authoritarian regimes: manufactured, suppressed, or irrelevant?
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Polarization and democratic resilience: when does it become dangerous?
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Strategies for depolarization: deliberation, dialogue, reform
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Creative communication of polarization research (poster and video work)
Students will engage critically with theory and real-world cases, conduct short interviews, and explore how polarization manifests in different social and political settings.
- verantwortliche Lehrperson: Filipp Chapkovski
- verantwortliche Lehrperson: Achim Goerres
- begleitende Lehrperson: Paul Gies
- begleitende Lehrperson: Katrin Kruse
- begleitende Lehrperson: Conrad Ziller