This past summer, members/grantees of COST Action CA22165 (DepolarisingEU), Daniela Fazio Vargas, Dana Guy, and Polina Zavershinskaia, had the opportunity to participate in the Marie Jahoda Summer School at the University of Vienna. Focused on the theme Crises, Justice, and Democracy, the program brought together researchers exploring polarisation, social movements, and the role of narratives during crisis in shaping political discourse. Through lectures, workshops, and thought-provoking discussions, participants engaged with leading scholars and exchanged insights on countering radical polarisation. In this blog entry, our three members share their reflections on the experience, highlighting key takeaways and the impact on their research.
“A few months ago, I had the privilege of attending the Marie Jahoda Summer School in Vienna –an initiative supported by DepolarisingEU. The experience was incredibly enriching, especially for a third-year sociology PhD student eager to learn and connect with people researching similar fields.
At that time, I had just joined this COST Action, and this experience allowed me to get to know some of the other members of the network and learn from their research. It was very inspiring to see how such different lines of research converge towards our common interest: understanding radical polarisation and civil society. For this, it was extremely enriching to attend the lectures on topics relevant to the network, such as polarisation, emotions, democracy, activism, and inequality. Having these different insights was certainly thought-provoking –especially as they are aligned with my current PhD research, which focuses on arts and protests.
Although the format of this Summer School was different from that of others I have attended. While there were lectures every day, the main focus was on the workshops designed to help the PhD students enhance and improve their work. I presented the draft of one of my empirical chapters, which focuses on music as a form of dissensus. I received extremely stimulating suggestions that have enabled me to improve my work. One of the things that struck me the most was the dedication of my colleagues and the invited lecturers. They provided critical and constructive feedback, fostering a collegial and friendly atmosphere of trust and understanding. It was not just about presenting our ideas but also creating spaces for listening where diverse and sometimes contrasting perspectives could be heard.
The Summer School began with an insightful keynote lecture by Prof. Jeffrey Alexander, which was highly thought-provoking. He addressed relevant topics that help us understand the complexities of our increasingly polarised world, where we are witnessing the rise of far-right parties, weakened democracies, crises in the traditional forms of political participation and growing discontent fuelling alternative forms of activism. Moreover, we were fortunate to have him participate in some workshops, where we could also address interesting discussions about politics, violence, aesthetics and justice.
While the time was short—given the intensity of the summer school—I truly appreciated the chance to explore such a vibrant and cultural city. It was my first time visiting Austria and, for me, walking through the streets of the historic imperial city and absorbing its artistic and cultural heritage was certainly very inspiring and motivating.”
Daniela FAZIO VARGAS
“A year ago, I became a member of COST Action CA22165: Redressing Radical Polarisation: Strengthening European Civil Spheres facing Illiberal Digital Media (DepolarisingEU). As part of this network’s activity, I was privileged to receive a grant that enabled me to participate in and present my research at the Marie Jahoda Summer School at the University of Vienna.
The programme, titled “Crises, Justice, Democracy”, focused on policy actors, the media, social movements, activists, and ‘polarisation entrepreneurs’ who exploit crises to create social divisions – topics that are central to our COST Action. In this context, I presented my research on narratives in social media and their role in conflicts.
The summer school offered a wonderful opportunity to exchange knowledge from different countries and to explore methodologies for researching de-escalation and depolarisation.
It was also an opportunity to meet other researchers from around the world. As we were a relatively small group, we had ample time for in-depth discussions in a constructive and encouraging environment.
Everyone agreed that the social activities, coffee breaks, and interactions between the sessions were just as important as the academic discussion. I am confident that the connections we established will lead to future interdisciplinary collaborations.”
Dana GUY
“During the Marie Jahoda Summer School of Sociology ‘Crises, Justice, Democracy,’ I presented my paper in progress, ‘Collective Memory and Quasi-Solidarization in the Civil Sphere: The Mobilization of ‘a Difficult Past’ in Narrating the Russian Invasion of Ukraine by German and Italian Backlash.” This paper focused on investigating the memory narratives related to the traumatic past in Germany and Italy, which were mobilized by German and Italian backlash to justify the Russian invasion of Ukraine. I suggested that addressing this question could support the goals of CA22165 in mitigating radical polarisation by dismantling anti-democratic narratives that seek to justify collective violence, endangering the stability of European democratic societies and the EU as a whole.
The school offered me an excellent opportunity to discuss my first draft of the paper, which was accepted after several revisions by Jeffrey C. Alexander, the editor of the American Journal of Cultural Sociology. The paper will soon be published in the journal (https://doi.org/10.1057/s41290-024-00237-5). Additionally, it provided me with necessary additional knowledge regarding radical polarisation from experts such as Jeffrey C. Alexander, Matthias Revers, Till Hilmar, Felix Butzlaff, and Julia Sachseder.”
Polina ZAVERSHINSKAIA
