Whether it concerns climate change, vaccinations, or asylum policies: more and more groups in our Dutch and European societies, such as those with higher and lower education levels, seem to stand in direct opposition to each other. Or not? New research by sociologist Quita Muis (Tilburg University) explains why people perceive a cleavage while there is no actual polarization.
Concerns about polarizing groups in our society prompted Quita Muis’s dissertation. "There is widespread panic about increasing polarization in our society, but there was a lack of scientific evidence," says Muis. Her research focuses on different types of polarization, who polarizes and why, and what the consequences are. "I specifically examined different education levels and the role of social identification. This means that people behave according to how they think they should act within the social group they want to belong to."
Cleavage proves to be an illusion, yet is still perceived
The research indicates that the panic over polarization is largely unfounded. For many topics, people tend to hold similar opinions. Muis relies on data from the European Value Study (EVS), which has surveyed the opinions, preferences, attitudes, values, and beliefs of over 59,000 Europeans in 36 countries on various topics such as politics, sexual orientation, and migration for more than 35 years. "Based on this data, it can be stated that we have not grown further apart; rather, we have moved closer together."
This is particularly true for those with higher education, who generally share similar views more often than those with lower education. A striking insight is that, although there is no real polarization between the highly educated and the less educated, individuals within these groups feel they are strongly polarized. "One explanation for this is that in our society, much importance is placed on achievements and merits. A diploma symbolizes the group to which you belong. The prevailing idea that the highly and less educated fundamentally differ seems to drive them further apart."
Results do not guarantee future stability
The new research findings do not mean that there is no risk of polarization, the researcher emphasizes. "The strong identification of individuals with a specific group-such as people with the same educational level-can be both a significant cause and a consequence of the formation of a divide between groups. This division can have serious consequences for younger generations and ultimately lead to the erosion of democracies."