Abstract:
Political polarization is often invoked as a catch-all explanation for societal conflict and policy gridlock. Yet this broad usage can obscure more than it clarifies, making it harder to address the real dynamics at play. While polarization appears to permeate many aspects of life—from policy preferences to emotional and moral divides—treating it as the root cause of every disagreement offers little in the way of solutions. In this seminar, I present that the key to understanding polarization lies not just in ideological differences but in how people perceive those differences. Specifically, I highlight how misperceptions about the opposing side drive perceived ideological polarization, and how these misperceptions are shaped by like-minded media consumption and talk networks. I also demonstrate that the role of communication in reinforcing or mitigating these perceptions varies across policy domains, providing a more nuanced understanding of how (perceived) polarization operates—and how we might address it.
Jisoo Kim is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Washington. She focuses on how multimedia platforms and media messages influence what people believe, how they discuss politics, and how they engage in civic life.
Her recent work examines how the broader communication ecology influences public perceptions of polarization and politicization—and how these perceptions, in turn, affect people’s willingness to share opinions, engage in conversation, navigate relationships with others, or take political action.
