Call for Book Chapters: "Understanding and Contesting Polarization Online"

Vernon Press invites book chapters for a forthcoming edited volume on the subject of "Understanding and Contesting Polarization Online".

The internet has for some time now acted as an important staple within the contemporary political milieu. However, rather than fostering a “marketplace of ideas”, online communities have arguably had the effect of polarizing users on all parts of the political spectrum. This is particularly true when it comes to far-right groups like the Blood Tribe in the United States and the Freedom Convoy in Canada. Meanwhile, anti-racist influencers on the left have found creative ways to use social media to hit back against online content produced by far-right actors. More recently, anti-Trans protests in Canada have shown rare glimpses of temporary coalitions across far-right and racialized groups that cut across the traditional political dichotomy of right and left. The ensuing online polarization has meant that researchers must look for and design novel methods to measure how online environments contribute to the formation and growth of oppositional and often radical views.

This call for submissions invites scholars to contribute a chapter to an edited book. This volume seeks to bring together research that describes what factors lie behind online polarization among the right, the left and everyone in between. Such research is important because it provides insights into how the negative outcomes of online polarization can be mitigated or prevented in an increasingly divided world. The chapters should identify the features of digital technologies, social media and web-based communities that have contributed to online polarization. Chapters should also consider the outcomes of such polarization for different political groups and society at large.

Chapters will address the following themes, but will not be limited to:

• The role of media technologies in online polarization towards radical ideologies.
• Differences in how information technologies enable and/or facilitate ideas on the right vs. the left.
• How have progressive movements/individuals learned to harness the affordances of digital technologies to resist far-right messaging?

Chapter proposal submission

If you are interested please submit a short abstract (100-250 words) to Andrey Kasimov at kasimoa@mcmaster.ca by January 11, 2024.