The Politicization of Place: UKIP and Perceptions of Local Diversity in the UK
Cara Wong from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Abstract:
Although most social science studies involving geography assess the effect of place on politics, we ask whether and how politics, and specifically political campaigns, can change individuals' perceptions and understandings of their local geographies. If geographic context effects arise from both objective experience and subjective perceptions, can "context effects" or "community effects" on political attitudes and behaviors be constructed or at least influenced by the political environment of the person? We use the case of UKIP campaign contact in the UK and measure perceptions of place using thousands of Google Maps drawn by the respondents of the 2014-2015 British Election Study.
Although most social science studies involving geography assess the effect of place on politics, we ask whether and how politics, and specifically political campaigns, can change individuals' perceptions and understandings of their local geographies. If geographic context effects arise from both objective experience and subjective perceptions, can "context effects" or "community effects" on political attitudes and behaviors be constructed or at least influenced by the political environment of the person? We use the case of UKIP campaign contact in the UK and measure perceptions of place using thousands of Google Maps drawn by the respondents of the 2014-2015 British Election Study.
| Building: | Haven Hall |
|---|---|
| Event Type: | Lecture / Discussion |
| Tags: | Politics |
| Source: | Happening @ Michigan from Political Scientists of Color (PSOC), Department of Political Science |
