INCLUSIVITY

INCLUSIVITY NORMS TO COUNTER POLARIZATION IN EUROPEAN SOCIETIES

Countries

Universities

Work Packages

Research Goal

The project

About INCLUSIVITY

WHAT IS THE PROJECT ABOUT?

The project team focuses their research on inclusivity norms, which are social group norms that promote equality-based respect, dialogue and unity, to prevent the harmful consequences of polarization for the social tissue of European communities. The goal of the project is to advance research on current European challenges in three ways. First, to provide an evidence-based approach to countering polarization in Europe. Second, they use experimental and network approaches to inclusivity norms, which will to uncover the relational nature of norm transmission, as well as the conditions under which inclusivity norms amplify tolerance, contact and cooperation. Third, the project will result in open-access empirical data on similarities and differences in inclusivity norms between 16 European countries and groups within European countries, including EU separatist movements (e.g., Catalonia).

OUR RESEARCH

The work packages

Learn more about the content of the work packages.

01

HAGEN

Cross-national survey

coordinated by PI Oliver Christ; involving all other PIs and Early Career Researchers

02

KRAKOW

Experiments with inclusivity norms

PIs Marcin Bukowski and Oliver Christ

03

BARCELONA

Personal network analysis

PI Miranda Lubbers

04

UTRECHT

Network experiments

PI Eva Jaspers

05

OSNABRÜCK

Network intervention – „Together for tolerance“

PI Maarten van Zalk

MILESTONES

The work plan

The table summarizes the work plan. From the kickoff meeting onward, we prepare the general project and further design the methods used in the WPs. General project preparation involves developing ethical protocols, data management and communication plans, recruiting ECRs, and pre-registering research plans. Each WP will then design data collection materials, train ECRs, conduct pilot studies, and implement the data collection and analysis. In all WPs, each period of data collection is followed by coding and analysis and work on publications and dissemination.

Learn all about our researchers

Meet the team

We are a an international team of researchers working in Psychology, Sociology and Data Evaluation. We are interested in human interactions and group processes. In our work packages, we are looking at different aspects of INCLUSIVITY. Get to know the PIs working in the project and their respective research in the work packages.

Articles and Publications

Explore our research

Take a look at our newest articles and publications about INCLUSIVITY.

Do you have any questions?

Please feel free to contact us to learn more about our project. We look forward to hearing from you!

What do you like about the project?

QUOTES

“I look forward to finding out how teenagers can make a school a more tolerant and positive place. Teenagers’ own, often powerful, roles they play in interventions are often overlooked, and I want to instead study how we can give them maximum possibilities to make a positive change in their schools.”

Prof. Dr. Maarten van ZalkUNIVERSITY OF OSNABRÜCK

“I am grateful to be involved in a research project in psychology that is all about the “real world”. Unlike research done in labs, in “Together for Tolerance” we get the chance to observe how relationships between adolescents or students develop and change, and how attitudes and behaviors regarding respect and dialogue, tolerance and cooperation between students from different cultural groups and backgrounds can be promoted.”

Dr. Maor ShaniUNIVERSITY OF OSNABRÜCK

"Taking part in a project that combines different methodologies, approaches (social psychology, sociology, and developmental psychology), and which joins researchers from different countries (Germany, Spain, Netherlands, and Poland) it’s a great opportunity to learn many research skills, to develop a strong international network and to make meaningful contributions for society. The goal of reducing polarization around the world is more urgent and necessary than ever. I wish this project's results do one’s bit along the way to achieve it."

Dr. Lucía Estevan-ReinaJAGIELLONIAN UNIVERSITY

"I'm grateful to be part of the project and the team of researchers as an external collaborator. I appreciate the opportunity to learn from the diverse methodologies and to observe the teamwork that contributes to the project's realization. I'm particularly drawn to the project's practical relevance, which becomes evident during our interactions with youth in schools and underlines the importance of the projects' objectives."

Wilma MiddendorfOSNABRÜCK UNIVERSITY

"There is a lot to like about the project, but my favorite part is the interdisciplinarity resulting from cooperation between scientists from different research fields. I find it very inspiring and exciting."

Dr. Anna PotoczekJAGIELLONIAN UNIVERSITY

"Working beside such a diverse and knowledgeable team is a pleasure and privilege. I am particularly interested in the pursuit of deepening the understanding of the concept of tolerance as a whole, and its potential to better explain polarization and its underlying mechanisms."

Dominika GurbiszJAGIELLONIAN UNIVERSITY

SCIENCE FOR ALL!

We believe that Science should be accessible to all.

What is going on in the project?

NEWS

Interdisciplinary Conference on Social Norms, Cohesion, and (De)Polarization

We are excited to announce the upcoming conference on „Social Norms, Cohesion, and (De)Polarization,“ scheduled to take place in Utrecht, The Netherlands on May 22nd-23rd, 2025. This conference aims to bring together scholars from various (social science) disciplines to explore the dynamics of social norms, their impact on societal cohesion, and the processes of polarization and depolarization across contexts that they (can) contribute to.

We are thrilled to announce that Cristina Bicchieri already confirmed to be one of our keynote speakers.