For this Leibniz Media Lecture, we welcome Professor Olaf Jandura from the Düsseldorf University of Applied Sciences. In his presentation, he will examine the dynamics of ideological polarization by combining research on polarization with research on social milieus. The Hamburg section of the Research Institute Social Cohesion (RISC) is hosting this Leibniz Media Lecture.
Moderator: Dr. Lisa Merten
The presentation “Milieuspezifische Perspektiven auf die Polarisierungsthese” [Milieu-Specific Perspectives on the Polarization Hypothesis] will be held in German.
About the Presentation
This presentation is based on a three-wave trend survey conducted from 2020 to 2024. It examines how ideological divides between political-communicative milieus have evolved, as well as the role of media use in this process. The findings do not reveal a simple division of society into two camps but rather a growing differentiation at the political fringes. The proportion of isolated and self-isolating fringe milieus is rising significantly, while integrated milieus in the political center are losing influence. Using migration and climate change as examples, the study highlights divides between social welfare–oriented liberal milieus and market liberal–authoritarian milieus. Selective media use and homogeneous conversation networks appear to amplify these developments.
About the Speaker
Professor Dr. Olaf Jandura is the director of the Communication Research @HSD research cluster in the Department of Economics at the University of Applied Sciences in Düsseldorf and an adjunct professor at the Institute of Social Sciences at Heinrich Heine University in Düsseldorf. He has also served as a temporary W2 professor and visiting professor at the universities of Düsseldorf, Munich, Mainz, and Zurich. He began his academic career at the Technical University of Dresden, where he studied communication science, political science, and sociology, earning his doctorate in 2005. His research focuses on political communication. He is particularly interested in political communication milieus and their communication practices.
