DIAS Wild Wednesday: In a Time of Division: Polarization in Denmark and the Nordic Region

Polarization is one of the major challenges internationally. But what does polarization look like in the Nordic countries? The Nordic welfare states are built on a high degree of mutual trust, yet affective and identity-based polarization in particular can generate antipathy toward our fellow citizens, foster conspiracy theories and hate speech, and, in the worst case, undermine the much‑celebrated Nordic trust.In the POLIS project, we examine through an interdisciplinary humanities-based approach how affective and identity-based polarization unfolds outside traditional political debate: in everyday public discourse, on social media, in art and culture, and in our relationships with fellow citizens in Denmark and the Nordic region more broadly. This Wild Wednesday presents selected insights from the project and explores how polarization shapes everyday aesthetics and art, promotes public moralism, and functions as a central dynamic in conspiracy theories. 

Program 

• Anders Engberg-Pedersen - introduction  – 10 min
• Kathrin Maurer – 15 min
• Anne-Marie Søndergaard  – 10 min
• Kasper Grotle Rasmussen  – 10 min
• Q\&A - 15 minutes