The Social Psychology Group of the University of Groningen invites applications for a PhD position. This new position is part of the Vidi project of Namkje Koudenburg “The conversational dynamics of polarization: bottom-up drivers of societal division and democratic resilience”, funded by NWO. The successful candidate will work together with Prof. Namkje Koudenburg and Prof. Lise Jans.

Polarization (e.g., on topics of climate change, immigration etc) is one of the most urgent challenges facing Western democracies today. The Vidi-project investigates how face-to-face conversational dynamics contribute to radical polarization, and how they can be harnessed to promote healthier democratic discourse. Integrating social-psychological theorizing with insights from political, cultural, and communication studies, this project aims to analyse how micro-level dynamics in everyday conversations shape perceptions of polarization and public discourse. The core aims are to understand the principles of bottom-up polarization and develop guidelines for de-escalating discussions in both laboratory micro-societies and in applied settings. Through partnerships with governmental bodies, the applicant will co-develop interventions to improve democratic discourse—particularly in public participation initiatives. 

The PhD candidate will work on three sub-projects. Sub-project 1 assesses polarizing conversational dynamics in laboratory micro-societies. We are interested in how (experimentally induced) perceptions of structural polarization impact conversational dynamics. Using a mixed-method approach, we examine effects on change trajectories of observed conversational dynamics and self-reported psychological experiences in social networks. Sub-project 2 experimentally manipulates the flow of conversational dynamics in video-taped interactions to examine how these affect perceptions of structural differentiation, and willingness to engage with like-minded and opposing individuals. In collaboration with a governmental partner, Sub-project 3 aims to design and test an intervention to improve deliberation within small group discussions, by reducing the relational threat stemming from opinion differences.

Project 2: Putting the Gay in Gaming: How Queer Youth Navigate Identity Development in Online Gaymer Communities

In developing an understanding of who they are, young people draw on cultural expectations and narratives for who they could (or should be) while engaging with others in their social environments. Increasingly, this process is taking place in online spaces – in which youth engage with (and create) digital content, interact, and play games. Especially for queer youth, whose gender and sexual identities often transgress the norms of their offline contexts, online gaming provides important safe spaces for finding an accepting community and exploring their identities; for example, by taking on different types of (gendered) characters and bodies. However, because gamer culture is itself often tied to heteronormative ideals of masculinity (i.e. the idea that games are ‘for’ straight men), queer players might experience friction and even harm, often leading to the formation of subcommunities of “gaymers,” (or LGBTQIA+ gamers) in which they feel more included and safe. Yet even within these communities, traditional cultural narratives about gender and sexuality may be inadvertently reproduced, excluding transgender and gender-fluid youth. The overarching aim of this project is to build on earlier work (e.g., Turkle, 1995; Shaw, 2012) through an interdisciplinary investigation of how young queer people make meaning of and negotiate identities and cultural expectations within the context of online gaming (through chatting, playing and watching). 

Project 1: Interdisciplinary researcher-identity formation in Dutch academia

Are you interested in how researchers engage with interdisciplinary research? Are you curious about how researchers develop a sense of identity as a researcher working across disciplines? Do you care about how mentoring and training programs can improve the wellbeing and daily work of interdisciplinary researchers? If so, we encourage you to consider applying for this PhD project.