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Dictionary

SOCIAL POLARIZATION

In our understanding, the category “polarization of society” is a state of bipolarity in the area of social awareness, related to the value system. Bipolarity means that in a given society – in relation to many important areas of social life – there are divergent patterns of values. In other words, there is no value system that is shared by the majority of this society. Worldview polarization also means a tendency to give a higher importance to the values of one’s own community and a tendency to impose one’s own values on other communities. The phenomenon of polarization concerns systemic issues, such as the role of the state and its institutions in social life, and the rules regulating the functioning of the economy. Polarization covers key areas of social life: the political system, family life patterns, moral issues and religious practices. We assume that polarization is a process in which the differences between people and the conflicts that accompany them consolidate, acquire symbolic meaning and finally gain the status of antagonistic criteria for identifying collective identity (“us” – “them”, “ours” – “strangers”).

Ruszkowski P., Przestalski A., Maranowski P. (2020). Polaryzacja światopoglądowa społeczeństwa polskiego a klasy i warstwy społeczne. Collegium Civitas Press, s. 5-6.

FILTER BUBBLE

 the Such an invisible selection of what we see and what we do not see can have a noticeable impact on our worldview, locking us in a specific information “bubble” – a filter bubble. On a micro scale, such a filter prevents us from reaching information that we may disagree with, that may seem inconvenient or controversial, but which should reach our consciousness in order to expand our knowledge about the world. On a macro scale, such a filter can lead to a serious weakening of public discourse – by hanging out only with people we like and constructing an idea of the world based on information we agree with, we are less willing to engage in discussion, which is the basis of a healthy democracy. At the same time, questions about ethics arise. Algorithms that select content do so on the basis of purely objective validity criteria, operating completely outside the dimension of ethics.

Malinowski B., (2016). Jak Facebook zamyka nas w bańce informacyjnej. Algorytm filtrujący newsfeed a zjawisko filter bubble. Zarządzanie Mediami, (Tom 4, Numer 1), s. 16.

filter bubble: a digital bubble resulting from online personalization, filtering and blocking the flow of some information. According to the author of this concept, a filter bubble is “a personal and unique information universe in which each of us lives online” (Pariser 2011).

 Malinowski B. (2016). Jak Facebook zamyka nas w bańce informacyjnej. Algorytm filtrujący newsfeed
a zjawisko filter bubble. Zarządzanie Mediami, (Tom 4, Numer 1), s. 19.

Digital information bubbles can be a threat to society by impoverishing public discourse and making people more prone to propaganda and manipulation. Until recently, traditional media played the role of the so-called gatekeepers – the authority that decides what information should be made available to the public and in what form. The gatekeeper role was inextricably linked to a coherent journalistic ethic, which requires not only objectivity and reliability, but also presenting different points of view and information that is often uncomfortable, undesirable, and yet necessary.ale także prezentowania odmiennych punktów widzenia i informacji często niewygodnych, niepożądanych, a jednak potrzebnych.

  Brzóska P., Nowak B. (2019). Fałsz w erze mediów społecznościowych, czyli różnice indywidualne, bańki informacyjne i podatność na fake newsy, s. 21.
a zjawisko filter bubble. Zarządzanie Mediami, (Tom 4, Numer 1), s. 19.

STEREOTYPE

A stereotype is a scheme representing a group or type of people distinguished due to some easily noticeable feature defining their social identity, such as gender, race, nationality, age or profession. Such a scheme is usually oversimplified, overgeneral (all group members “are the same”), resistant to change as a result of new information, and socially shared, beinga a part of the community’s culture.

Wojciszke B. (2011). Psychologia społeczna. Wydawnictwo Naukowe Scholar, s. 475.

PREJUDICE

A related concept is prejudice, which is a negative or (less often) positive attitude towards members of a group held because they are its members. The most common forms of prejudice are ethnocentrism – rejecting people belonging to culturally and/or racially different groups and accepting culturally similar people, racism (e.g. anti-semitism), nationalism or chauvinism and sexism.

Wojciszke B. (2011). Psychologia społeczna. Wydawnictwo Naukowe Scholar, s. 475.

DISCRIMINATION

 ADiscrimination, on the other hand, is hostile or unfair behavior towards people belonging to a stereotyped group – based on their membership and position in the group, and not on the person’s individual properties.

Wojciszke B. (2011). Psychologia społeczna. Wydawnictwo Naukowe Scholar, s. 475.

What can you do?

Get out of the filter bubble. Or how to find out the truth from th news.

1. The most important rule is a certain amount of distrust in the information that is transmitted by the mass media to our recipients.

2. Always check coverage of current events on several independent websites. One event can be presented in two completely different ways in order to omit certain facts.

3. Before trusting any source of information, think about what the purpose of transmitting this news may be. Information posted online is often intended to be “clickable” and not true.

4. Before you pass on some very “hot” gossip you have read on the Internet, check how close it is to the truth. Often, the only source that gossip sites rely on is their own imagination.

5. Make sure that the websites or scientific articles you use are reliable. You can use the special Google Scholar search engine to search for scientific publications.

6. And most importantly, DON’T GIVE UP. Recently, the search for knowledge and information has been hampered by constant “information overload.” Where there’s a will there’s a way

7. If you want to learn more about this and other social phenomena, check out our dictionary or the articles below.

Join us!

The mission of the Contrasts Project is to educate about social polarization and filter bubbles that deepen stereotypes and prejudices. We believe that building a hostile division into “US” and “THEM” makes the discussion difficult and closes the way to understanding between parties with different views. We want to show that the world is not black and white and build an attitude of respect for people who have a different view of the world. Currently, Project members are implementing the “Us and Them” project as part of the European Solidarity Corps – an international program of the European Commission. If our values are close to you, we invite you to get involved in the projects we implement – you decide how much time you want to devote. Most tasks can be performed remotely. You don’t need to have any experience!

SOCIAL MEDIA team

No longer so new, but an ever-changing new group of social media has its own rules. Among the mentioned laws and components of success, creativity has the highest value (Wielgus, 2019). If creativity is your middle name and you feel good or think you will feel good:

– creating content for social media,

– creating graphics, thumbnails, Insta Stories,

– creating and appearing in TikToks,

– in contacting content recipients,

– in promoting the project wherever the Internet reaches.

And if your answer to at least one of the above statements is YES, then congratulations! You have found your place in the project.

SUBSTANTIVE team

You want to know more, our recipients do too, and that’s why this team was created. To join it, your desire to find the most reliable information must be at the highest level. If you feel well or think you will feel well:

– conducting research on the project issues,

– writing popular science or scientific articles,

– in verifying fake news,

– in creating outlines of surveys, meetings, webinars.

And if your answer to at least one of the above statements is YES, then congratulations! You have found your place in the project.

CREATIVE team

Polish scientists describe the information that content presented through two channels – text and image, has a beneficial effect on the acquisition and understanding of it (Krejtz et al., 2014). This is exactly what this team was created for. If creativity is your first name and you feel good or think that you will feel good:

– editing videos for YouTube and other social media,

– writing scripts for films,

– in video recording.

And if your answer to at least one of the above statements is YES, then congratulations! You have found your place in the project.

TECHNICAL team

It is common knowledge and scientifically proven that data analysis is a key value in the success of a given project (Pawełoszek, 2019). If you feel good or think you will feel good:

– creating and analyzing surveys on completed events,

– in cooperation with the Social Media team (Google Analytics, YouTube metrics),

– in creating event evaluations,

– in translating content and adding subtitles to videos.

And if your answer to at least one of the above statements is YES, then congratulations! You found yours place in the project.

STRATEGY AND PROMOTION team

The success of the project is based on reaching the widest possible audience of its ideas. This, in turn, is ensured by a conscious strategy and promotion of the project. If you feel well or think you will feel well:

– helping to develop a schedule and long-term strategy,

– planning campaigns promoting the project,

– creating consistent guidelines for other teams,

– in recruiting and managing volunteers,

– conducting evaluation of the entire project and final reports,

– in generating ideas for new events,

– taking care of the relationships of a group of volunteers,

– in obtaining cooperation, sponsors, subsidies,

– in terms of logistic event management,

– in sharing information about the project with the media.

And if your answer to at least one of the above statements is YES, then congratulations! You found yours place in the project.

And if you can boast of a diploma or journalistic internship, please contact us and help with:

– conducting lectures, webinars, surveys;

– creating press releases informing about upcoming events and describing those that have already taken place.

It is obvious that you can gain a lot through involvement in volunteering… And we could write here about the value of goodness of heart, the feeling of making others aware, changing the world for the better or the general satisfaction from action. However, joining a “contrast” volunteering will give you so much more. Imagine that with even one positive thought a day about selfless action for others, a surge of serotonin appears in your body. This neurotransmitter gives happiness (Jośko, 2011).

And who deserves them more than you!

PS

If you want specific answers about what you can gain by working on the Project, we are already answering, because thanks to your involvement: – you will complete school volunteering or even student internships when they require a similar scope of duties,

– you will have the opportunity to implement your own ideas and expand your portfolio,

– you will receive individual references,

– you will meet inspiring people,

– you will gain valuable experience,

– you will make your own contribution to the implementation of a social project as part of the European Solidarity Corps!

If you want to get involved in the project’s activities, please fill out the

recruitment form

However, if you want to learn more, ask us a question using the form or e-mail address kontakt@en.projektkontrasty.pl

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