This PhD project examines how misperceptions of polarisation around migration issues affect social cohesion in local communities. Focusing on neighbourhoods as everyday settings where residents encounter diversity, the project measures the gap between perceived and actual attitudes and analyses its consequences for both majority and minority residents. Through a field study in six Dutch neighbourhoods, and an intervention co-developed with local stakeholders, the project tests how correcting such misperceptions can strengthen cohesion and support more inclusive local communities.
Your jobPublic debates on migration are frequently framed as confrontations between ‘pro’ and ‘anti’ positions. Such framings can undermine social cohesion by reinforcing the idea that society is deeply divided. This has been described as
polarization panic: the belief that social cleavages are profound, even though empirical evidence for such divisions is limited. Perceptions of polarization are often driven by
misperceptions of conflicting attitudes. People tend to overestimate the gap between their own migration attitudes and those of others, creating an exaggerated sense of societal division.
Existing research has demonstrated that these misperceptions of attitudes are widespread. However, two important gaps remain. First, we know little about what these misperceptions mean for social cohesion at the local level, specifically for trust, belonging and willingness to cooperate. It is tempting to dismiss perceptions of polarization as simply misguided or inaccurate. Yet even when they are incorrect, such perceptions can have real social consequences by shaping behaviour and intergroup relations . Second, it remains unclear how misperceptions about polarization can be corrected in ways that strengthen, rather than undermine, social cohesion.
Scope of the ProjectThe project focuses on neighbourhoods as everyday social environments in which residents encounter diversity and live side by side. While most existing research examines misperceptions at the national level, this project explicitly shifts attention to the local level. This is particularly relevant in the Dutch context, where polarization panic around migration often has a strong local dimension. A clear example is the heated public debate surrounding the establishment of refugee reception centres. The announcement or anticipated arrival of such a centre can function as an external shock, shaping how residents perceive the migration attitudes of others in their municipality or neighbourhood.
Neighbourhoods offer a unique opportunity to directly compare perceived and actual attitudes. This project measures what people believe their neighbours think about migration and contrasts these perceptions with neighbours’ self-reported attitudes. By linking these subjective perceptions to behavioural and contextual indicators, such as voting patterns, neighbourhood composition and participation in local initiatives, we can identify where misperceptions occur, how large the perception–reality gap is and what consequences these misperceptions have for social cohesion at the local level.
Social cohesion will be assessed using indicators including neighbourhood involvement, perceived threat from neighbours, participation in volunteer work, frequency of social contact and sense of belonging or community. In collaboration with local stakeholders, the project then develops an intervention to correct such misperceptions.
Project Deliverables - A theoretical and empirical framework explaining how misperceptions of migration attitudes undermine social cohesion.
- An intervention co-developed with local stakeholders aimed at reducing misperceptions and strengthening social cohesion within communities.
- Practical recommendations and guidelines for municipalities, civil society organizations and policymakers on addressing misperceptions of migration attitudes and enhancing social cohesion.
This PhD project is part of the
SOCION consortium. SOCION addresses a pressing challenge of our time: fragmentation in societies. Social cohesion is society’s fabric and is key to sustainable societies and citizens’ well-being. However, it is increasingly undermined by erosion and polarization between communities, factions, and groups. In this project, psychologists, social historians, demographers, philosophers, and sociologists collaborate with civic organizations to generate and integrate insights into how connections between individuals, groups, and institutions contribute to new pathways to and forms of social cohesion.