Project Description

Céline Teney

Research Unit Macrosociology

Department of Political and Social Sciences

Website:

Short Vita

I am professor of Macrosociology at the Free University Berlin. I did my PhD thesis at the Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium and had research positions at the University of Bremen and of Göttingen. My main research interests lie in the fields of political sociology, the sociology of migration and the sociology of Europe.

What I find exciting about this research initiative

Affective polarization is a crucial phenomenon for understanding the current state of social cohesion in society. However, its prevalence, underlying causes, and consequences remain largely unexplored. Additionally, this project adopts an interdisciplinary perspective and employs multiple, complementary methodological approaches, making it particularly compelling.

What my discipline can contribute to this research initiative

As sociologists, we seek to understand variations in the presence of affective polarization, its underlying causes, and its effects across different social groups, including social classes, generations, gender, and educational levels. Our research aims to address key questions such as: Are certain social groups more prone to affective polarization than others? If so, what factors contribute to these differences? Additionally, we explore whether the consequences of affective polarization—such as a decline in social cohesion—are more pronounced in some groups compared to others.

Key publications

  • Teney C., Pietrantuono G., Wolfram T. (2024): “What polarizes citizens? An explorative analysis of 817 attitudinal items from a non-random online panel in Germany”. PLoS ONE 19(5): e0302446.

  • Dochow-Sondershaus, S. & Teney, C. (2024): “Opinion polarization of immigration and EU attitudes between social classes – the limiting role of working class dissensus”, European Societies

  • Teney, C. & Rupieper, L. K. (2023): “A New Social Conflict on Globalisation-related Issues in Germany? A Longitudinal Perspective”, Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie.

  • Teney, C., Dochow-Sondershaus, S., & Lovette, F. (2023): Gendered Effect of Parenthood on Voting Behaviour in the 2021 German Federal Elections. German Politics.

  • Teney, C.; Pietrantuono, G. & Möhring, K. (2022): “Who supports whom? Citizens’ support for affirmative action policies in recruitment processes towards four underrepresented groups”, Journal of European Public Policy.

Press publications