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Friends Unlike Me: Affective Political Polarization, Hidden Heterophily, and the Work of Negotiating Boundary Conflict

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posted on 2024-03-25, 01:59 authored by Ashley N Burk

Research on political social networks has centered on strong ties rather than weaker ones, emphasizing homophily. This research highlights heterophily which is underestimated when using a traditional survey method for measuring social networks. Using 29 semi-structured in-depth interviews with Democrats in the Northern Indiana area, I find that participants placed a range of restrictions on relationships with Republicans and others they disagreed with. As result, they retained the relationships as weaker ties. Choice of restriction varied between familial and non-familial ties but did not predictably vary according to the magnitude of political disagreement in the relationship. Participants’ reflection on their relationships in these interviews showed difficulty in reconciling their identities, group memberships, and existing relationships with those they disagree with politically.

History

Alt Title

Affective political polarization, hidden heterophily, and the work of negotiating boundary conflict

Date Created

2023-04-29

Date Modified

2023-04-29

Defense Date

2023-03-24

CIP Code

  • 45.1101

Research Director(s)

Kraig Beyerlein

Degree

  • Master of Arts

Degree Level

  • Master's Thesis

Language

  • English

Alternate Identifier

1377732870

OCLC Number

1377732870

Additional Groups

  • Sociology

Program Name

  • Sociology

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    Masters Theses

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