Polarization under rising inequality and economic decline

Area of Science:

• Social sciences
• Economics
• Political science

Background:

• Social and political polarization are significant drivers of societal conflict.
• Understanding the origins of polarization is a key research priority across multiple academic disciplines.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how economic factors influence socialization strategies and contribute to social and political polarization.
• To model the emergence and persistence of in-group favoring strategies in response to economic conditions.

Main Methods:

• Developed a model to simulate socialization strategies.
• Analyzed the impact of wealth inequality and economic decline on individual and group interactions.
• Examined the conditions under which risk-averse, in-group favoring strategies become advantageous.

Main Results:

• Shifts in socialization strategies, mirroring political polarization, can arise as a beneficial response to rising wealth inequality and economic decline.
• While diverse interactions offer innovation benefits, economic risk aversion favors in-group interactions for individual solvency.
• The model demonstrates that in-group polarization can emerge, spread rapidly, and persist even after the initial economic drivers reverse.

Conclusions:

• Economic conditions, specifically inequality and decline, can drive the adoption of in-group favoring socialization strategies.
• These strategies, once adopted, can become self-perpetuating and resistant to change, contributing to persistent social and political polarization.
• The findings offer insights into the complex interplay between economic factors and social dynamics in shaping societal divisions.