Jona de Jong

@jonadejong.bsky.social

Postdoc in Sociology at Utrecht University; PhD from @EUI_EU Polarization | Cleavages | Social Networks | Political Sociology www.jonadejong.com

We have a new paper out in PNAS. Susanna’s thread outlines our findings. The big picture takeaway is that well-designed climate education (active, personally relevant, science-based) can complement fiscal and regulatory instruments by building public support for ambitious policy!

Susanna Garside@susannagarside.bsky.social · 3mo ago

🚨I have a new paper out in PNAS with my co-authors, @maxbradley.bsky.social @renschazottes.bsky.social and @ninalopezuroz.bsky.social: "Educational policies can strengthen climate coalitions." A thread on what we found (and a great story about doing ambitious research without funding!) [1/9]

A recent debate on the left pits “abundance” vs “anti-monopoly” Is the problem that we've made it too hard to build? Or that extractive corporations dominate the economy? My new paper argues: both reflect a deeper shift. We've entered an economy oriented toward scarcity—the Anti-Growth Machine.

The City as an Anti‐Growth Machine

Logan and Molotch's “urban growth machine” remains foundational in urban theory, describing how coalitions of landowners, developers, and politicians promote urban growth to raise land values. This p...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Partisans, what partisans? Research by @jonadejong.bsky.social & Baldassari suggests that, contrary to earlier research using fictitious settings, in real encounters, Republicans and Democrats experience partisanship mostly as invisible and not something they find particularly important:

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For those following along, some thoughts on Thurner et al.'s reply to our critique to their "connectivity causes polarization" claim. At first sight, this looks like a solid rejoinder, perhaps even justifying the mildly sarcastic tone. Upon closer inspection, not so much. So, another thread... 1/

Rense Corten 🟥@rensec.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Earlier, I voiced my doubts here about a recent PNAS paper claiming that an alleged "rise in connectivity" explains an increase in polarization. PNAS was kind enough to publish our comments this week: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

Happy to share our new paper published in PNAS! Using epigenetic clocks and egocentric network data, we find each additional "hassler" in your close social network is associated with ~9 months of extra biological age and 1.5% faster pace of aging.

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My brother wanted a London pub crawl. The result? My new Substack post: "Britain Lost 14,000 Third Places. They were Called Pubs. Is Your Local Next?" How private equity reshaped the local, which pubs are most at risk and most importantly what to do about it. open.substack.com/pub/laurenle...

Britain Lost 14,000 Third Places. They Were Called Pubs. Is Your Local Next?

How private equity reshaped the local and the postcode tool that shows the pubs most at risk.

open.substack.com

The US is often seen as an extreme case where polarization erodes democracy bc partisanship now permeates all everyday sociability and affects. But this is now being contradicted by a whole number of studies. Besides the really interesting new work by @jonadejong.bsky.social, there is... (quick 🧵)

Jona de Jong@jonadejong.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Do ordinary Republicans and Democrats really avoid each other in everyday life? In a new working paper with Delia Baldassarri, we present descriptive and experimental evidence to challenge the view that partisanship drives the formation of social relationships. osf.io/preprints/so... 1/15

Do ordinary Republicans and Democrats really avoid each other in everyday life? In a new working paper with Delia Baldassarri, we present descriptive and experimental evidence to challenge the view that partisanship drives the formation of social relationships. osf.io/preprints/so... 1/15

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We stress the importance of social structure for polarization along a new cleavage --> policies shaping network segregation matter! Also see this paper by @jonadejong.bsky.social @jonnekamphorst.bsky.social who come to similar conclusions based on different data/countries. tinyurl.com/47edtwtc

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How are contemporary cleavage structures stabilized in times of declining mass social and political organizations? In this new paper with @davidattewell6.bsky.social @bjpols.bsky.social, we suggest that homogeneous social (educational) networks provide part of the answer. tinyurl.com/49cs8jwp

Educational Networks, Social Closure, and Cleavage Stabilization | British Journal of Political Science | Cambridge Core

Educational Networks, Social Closure, and Cleavage Stabilization - Volume 55

tinyurl.com

🎉 Congrats to @jonadejong.bsky.social for winning the 2025 Linz‑Rokkan Prize for the best EUI thesis in Political Sociology! His work sheds new light on how social networks shape divides and reduce partisan hostility. 👏 Read more 👉 www.eui.eu/news-hub?id=...

Jona de Jong awarded 2025 Linz Rokkan Prize

This years Linz Rokkan Prize for the Best EUI Doctoral Thesis in Political Sociology was awarded to Jona de Jong during the EUI Degree Conferring Ceremony on

eui.eu