Fighting Polarisation

Shared Communicative Spaces in Divided Democracies

Cherian George (Hong Kong Baptist University)

$82.95 $74.46

Paperback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Polity Press
23 October 2025

Media studies; Political structure & processes

Polarisation seems to fix people in antagonistic us/them camps. But, around the world, there are groups of citizens who refuse to give up on the democratic promise of a larger ‘we’. Challenging received prejudices and resisting tribal appeals from political leaders and social media, they practise dialogue and deliberation to nurture reciprocal respect for difference.

Guided by insights from deliberative democracy, social psychology, memory studies and other fields, Cherian George takes readers on a global, multi-sectoral tour of the fight against polarisation. On an American campus inflamed by war in the Middle East, a small group of pro-Palestine and pro-Israel students meet over meals to try to understand one another. In Indonesia, women join hands to overcome religious conflict in their hometown. In New Zealand, indigenous Mâori and the descendants of settlers serve as joint custodians of the country's longest river. The book reveals how lessons from this resistance movement help chart a path for democracies confronting division and hate.

Fighting Polarisation is enlightening reading for undergraduate and graduate students of media and communication studies, comparative politics, political sociology, human rights, and conflict studies, as well as general readers concerned about the future of democracy.

By: Cherian George (Hong Kong Baptist University)
Imprint: Polity Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Spine: 15mm
Weight: 680g
ISBN: 9781509564569
ISBN 10: 150956456X
Pages: 224
Publication Date: 23 October 2025
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Cherian George is Professor of Media Studies at Hong Kong Baptist University.

Reviews for Fighting Polarisation: Shared Communicative Spaces in Divided Democracies

""An invaluable contribution to those who seek to reclaim our shared humanity amid intensifying hate. It presents a raft of depolarising initiatives, some recent, some decades old, but all tested for when and how they are impactful. A liberating and empowering read!"" Ahmed Shaheed, University of Essex ""In this easy-to-read and timely book, Cherian George tackles tough topics such as polarisation, fascism, and ethnoreligious nationalism. The vivid case studies illustrate how community and care can serve as antidotes. Democracy, therefore, is not just electoral politics. It is the everyday practices of resistances that centre deliberation, diversity, and dialogues."" Srivi Ramasubramanian, Syracuse University