It is a common claim that we are living in an era of heightened political polarization and that social media platforms are to blame. But is this really the case? Eric Merkeley (University of Toronto) is the author of the forthcoming book “Polarization, Eh? The Causes and Consequences of Affective Polarization in Canada”. The Laurier Institute for the Study of Public Opinion and Policy will host Dr. Merkley at a forum on Thursday, November 6th at 11:30 a.m. Dr. Merkley will present the major outlines of his research and be joined by WLU faculty Dr. Anne Wilson (Psychology) and Dr. Juan Morales (Lazaridis School of Business and Economics) who will provide substantive commentary.
What: Social Media and Political Polarization in Canada: Perspectives from Political Science, Economics and Psychology
Where: Senate and Board Chambers or via Zoom
When: Thursday, November 6th 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
How: Registration here
Refreshments will be served.
Eric Merkley, PhD
Dr. Eric Merkley (PhD UBC) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Toronto, St. George, and is Director of the Policy, Elections, and Representation Lab (PEARL). Broadly speaking, he specializes in public opinion, political communication, political psychology, and American and Canadian politics. He is interested in mass polarization and in how elite behaviour and the news media together shape public attitudes.
Dr. Merkley is the author of Polarization Eh? The Causes and Consequences of Affective Polarization in Canada, forthcoming at the University of Toronto Press. He also has work featured in the American Political Science Review, Nature Human Behaviour, the Journal of Politics, the British Journal of Political Science, Political Communication, Political Behavior, Public Opinion Quarterly, and the Canadian Journal of Political Science, among other outlets.
Juan S. Morales, PhD
Juan S. Morales is an Associate Professor of Economics at the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics, Wilfrid Laurier University. He is an applied microeconomist with research interests in political economy and development, focusing on conflict, media, political communication, and legislative behavior. His work has been published in journals such as The Economic Journal, Review of Economics and Statistics, and Social Media + Society, and featured in The New York Times and NPR, among others. His current research examines how digital technologies shape elections, online dissent, and media consumption.
Anne Wilson, PhD
Dr. Anne Wilson is a social psychologist and Professor in the Psychology Department at Wilfrid Laurier University. Her research on political polarization, media, and social media dynamics has been funded by SSHRC and Facebook/ Meta and covered in the Atlantic, the Economist, the Guardian, and Washington Post. For more information about Dr. Wilson see: https://www.annewilsonpsychlab.com/