In recent years, the phenomenon of political polarization has become more noticeable across the world. Whether it be issues relating to the pandemic or pandemic response, the integrity of democratic processes, complex immigration matters, economic policy, or culture wars, most countries cannot confidently say they have become more unified and less polarized in the past 10 years or so. Yet, while there seems to be commonalities in how political polarization expresses itself globally, there are also distinctives of how it takes place on different continents and countries influenced by cultural currents and ethnic climates. Therefore, understanding the interaction between political polarization and culture is crucial for effective counter-polarization strategies tailored to specific national contexts.

While research has grown on the issue of political polarization in general, there has been less focus on how culture and political polarization interact with each other. This research topic aims to gather research examining the intersection of political polarization and culture. Research questions will include but not be restricted to: How has political polarization affected specific cultures? How do different elements of cultural attitudes or assumptions affect the experience of political polarization in specific countries? What cultural norms affect counter polarization efforts in the political process? How do the qualities of a political system (e.g. republic, democratic, non-democratic) affect political polarization? How do the characteristics of media in a culture affect political polarization? How might the interaction between culture and polarization affect international relations between countries? How might insights and findings in this intersection of study inform efforts to counter polarization in different parts of the globe?

This Research Topic welcomes various types of scholarly articles on this integrative topic. This includes theoretical articles, empirical studies, case studies, meta-analyses, book reviews, opinion articles, and other formats with relevant content.

Examples of topics can include:

•   The distinctives of how political polarization takes place in a specific country
•   Polarization between countries on the international stage
•   Political polarization within parties in specific cultures
•   Comparing Eastern vs Western flavors of political polarization
•   Political polarization interacting with economic factors of cultures
•   Differences in political polarization trends within a culture over time
•   Differences in how various ethnicities within a culture experience political polarization
•   Digital & online cultures affecting political polarization

Topic Editor Dr Ash Gillis is employed by ICF International Inc. All other Topic Editors declare no competing interests with regard to the Research Topic subject.

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Political Polarization and Culture