September 23, 2026
Jessica Feezell (University of New Mexico)
This talk draws on a book in progress that argues affective polarization emerges from a series of nested environments in which political identities are constructed, reinforced, or challenged. Rather than treating polarization as the product of a single force, the book shows how political experience unfolds across interconnected spatial, social, and mediated contexts. It examines four interlocking domains of political experience: local political context, social media use, interpersonal discussion, and social infrastructure. Together, these reveal how feeling politically out of place in one’s community can drive people online, how everyday social media use fosters ambient polarization, and how in-person interaction across political lines can push back against those forces by constraining hostility toward the opposing party. The talk centers on the social infrastructure chapter, which introduces a novel measure and demonstrates how it moderates political perceptions and polarization.