Exploring Destructive Polarisation: Professor Axel Bruns Visits UiB and PREPARE
Professor Axel Bruns visited the University of Bergen as part of the PREPARE project, sharing insights on destructive polarisation and media use in digital public spheres. His visit included a seminar, workshop, and academic discussions with researchers and students.
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At the end of September, the PREPARE project at the University of Bergen had the pleasure of hosting Professor Axel Bruns for a week-long visit. Bruns is an Australian Laureate Fellow and Professor at the Digital Media Research Centre at Queensland University of Technology, and a leading scholar in the fields of digital public sphere, media use, and political polarisation.
His visit, which took place from 28 September to 3 October, included both academic and informal activities. A highlight was the public seminar Identifying the Symptoms of Destructive Polarisation, held on 30 September at Media City Bergen. In the seminar, Bruns presented a new framework for understanding different forms of polarisation, introducing the concept of “destructive polarisation” — a particularly harmful type that undermines democratic discourse and cohesion. He illustrated the framework with a case study from the 2023 Australian referendum on an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.
The seminar was organised by the PREPARE project and the Bergen Media Use Research Group, and brought together researchers and students from various disciplines for engaged discussions on digital media and democratic participation.
In addition to the seminar, Bruns led a workshop on Practice Mapping at the Centre for Digital Narrative, and met with researchers and students throughout the week for informal lunches and conversations. His visit provided valuable insights and inspiration for ongoing research on media use and societal change.
Read more about the seminar here: Identifying the Symptoms of Destructive Polarisation [uib.no]