There has been an avalanche of social science research on polarisation in recent years – much of it assisted by AI driven analysis of social media; some of it building on long accepted social science findings; and some of it sadly a victim of the replication crisis which emerged in psychology some years ago.
All posts by Noel Turnbull
Are politicians research methods making our politics even worse?
In the next few months millions of dollars will be spent on political market research – much of it on focus groups which take the form of group discussions.
Allegedly it allows political parties to identify what people are thinking and how to respond to that. It is not a consultative project but rather one often devoted to testing ideas which form the basis of slogans. It also won’t be much about policy unless it is to elicit ideas for attacks on opponents’ promises.
Why has the G-G’s message about Afghanistan been on 9News home page for four months ?
On August 19 2021 9News put up on its home page a news article quoting the Governor-General, David Hurley, saying “you did as your nation asked” about veterans of the Afghanistan War.
Today more than four months later it’s still there and on many days it’s the first item on the home page news feed.
What does a by-election 17,104 kms from Canberra mean for Australia?
What significance can a by-election in an English constituency 17,104 kms from Canberra possibly have for Australia’s next Federal election?
The by-election in North Shropshire on 21 December was won by the UK Liberal Democrats by a margin of 17,957 votes to 12,032 and cost the Tories the seat for the first time since 1832.
Ad industry creatives target fossil fuel clients
In 1948 the American polymath, Harold Lasswell, formulated five questions: Who says what, which channel, to whom, and with what effects. He later added two more suggested by a critic: For what purpose and under what circumstances.
In a world saturated with persuasive communications – for both legitimate and nefarious purposes – it is a useful tool to de-construct who is saying what, how and why.
Is Morrison’s research no longer the fountain of all wisdom?
Scientists’ reputations live or die by the quality of their research. Politicians think their careers live or die by the quality of their attitudinal research but forget that attitudinal research might be powerful but not unerring.
Scott Morrison, who is obsessive about market research and how it helps him craft three word slogans and position himself, seems to be having a bit of hard time actually putting whatever his research is telling him into practice.
What successful can-do capitalism culture could teach Morrison
Scott Morrison is all for can-do capitalism. But it’s a pity he’s not prepared to take on the lessons from some of the world’s most successful companies on how to produce a healthy, productive corporate culture.
Brian Donovan of Donovan Leadership recently did a small scale survey of Australian leaders on the subject and cited as amplification a Harvard Business Review article by Emma Seppälä, of Yale School of Management and Kim Cameron, the William Russell Kelly Professor of Management and Organizations at the University of Michigan.
Truth and Integrity Project release Disgust and Distrust Report
The Truth and Integrity Project has released a major report – Disgust and Distrust…and what communities are doing about it.
The report says: “There is no greater manifestation of community disgust and distrust in Federal politics than the proliferation of independent candidates, community-based campaigns ranging across integrity, climate, the ABC, science, technology, education, trade unions and many other issues. “
The commemoration industry and the militarization of Australian history
A speech given the Middle Park Men’s Group November 24 2021
Let me say at the outset that I have profound respect for almost everyone who serves in the military.
But what concerns me is the way Australia has developed a commemoration industry unparalleled anywhere outside the US and Russia.
What also concerns me is that vast amounts are being spent on commemoration at a time when many veterans are not getting the compassion and assistance they should.
Albo should take a leaf out of the Bracks slogan – Labor Listens
There is probably nothing quite like making suggestions for Labor policies as a catalyst for generating even more suggestions.
Indeed, it seems there are so many more people out there with ideas about policy that it’s amazing Labor isn’t picking up on some of them rather than persisting with a series of inchoate and unconnected announcements which have no overall framing or narrative.