By Rikke Bajlum Nielsen, AAU Kommunikation og Public Affairs
Foto: Colourbox

Danes in the cities and in the countryside vote differently, think differently – and feel differently. A new international study from Aalborg University and ETH Zürich - the technical university of Zurich - documents that the political gap between urban and rural areas is also emotional. Many Danes have significantly more sympathy for people from their own geographical group – and antipathy towards the opposite.

The phenomenon is known as ‘place-based affective polarization’ and is about the extent to which people like their own group (city dwellers or people who live in the countryside) – and at the same time have negative feelings towards the other.

"We see that people in rural areas in particular show strong feelings of attachment to their own group and dislike of city dwellers," says Dominik Schraff, Associate Professor at Aalborg University and co-author of the study.

The study includes data from Denmark and eight other European countries and shows that place-based affective polarization in Denmark is clear, though not extreme. In Denmark, polarization is more pronounced among the rural population than city dwellers, partly because many city dwellers have previously lived in the countryside and therefore have more mixed loyalties.

Emotions shape voting behaviour

Research shows that place-based emotions have political consequences. Danes with a strong attachment to city dwellers and distance from people in rural areas are more likely to vote for green and liberal parties. On the other hand, people in rural areas with strong place-based affective polarization are more likely to vote for traditional and nationalist parties.

"When people not only disagree, but also feel antipathy towards each other, it is more difficult to find common solutions," says Schraff.

According to the researchers, place-based affective polarization is often associated with place-based identity and place-based resentment. This means that people feel close to their local area and at the same time experience their area as being overlooked, downgraded or belittled by "the others".

"It's not just about economics and culture – it's about who we like and identify with. This makes place-based emotions a key factor in understanding political behaviour," says Dominik Schraff.

Relevance for municipal elections

The study is particularly relevant for the upcoming municipal elections where geographical identity and emotions may play a greater role than we normally assume. It emphasizes that emotions and identity play a bigger role in politics than we might think – and that geographical affiliation can be just as important as class, education or ideology.

Read more about the study here:  https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/epub/10.1177/00104140251369317