Delia Baldassarri
What are the Bases of Cooperation and Division?
Group cooperation and social division are two sides of the same coin: as people come together to form groups they also separate themselves from others. Both cooperation and division originate from the activity of individuals and groups acting on the basis of their interests and partisan views of what society ought to be. By studying social actors at the intersection of the social categories and relational networks to which they belong, I aim to capture the dynamics of identity formation and social influence that trigger economic and political action and to connect attitudinal changes to broader processes of interest representation and public goods provision.
An integrated society is not a society in which conflict and disparities are absent. Rather, it is one in which conflict expresses itself through crosscutting interests and identities, whereas political and social division occurs when actors polarize around exclusive identities. In my research on public opinion polarization in the US, I look at the changes in partisanship, political preferences, and associational affiliations of American citizens and ask to what extent our society actually resembles the ideal of "political pluralism."
Collective action and cooperation originate from the simultaneity of shared interests and social identities. In my study on producer organizations in Uganda, I show how effective leadership and sustained social interaction can enhance public goods provision.
Taken together, my work looks at the cognitive, relational and structural bases of cooperation and division, addressing topics in collective action, political and economic networks, social influence, public opinion, and voting behavior.
Selected Publications:
D. Baldassarri, G. Grossman, 2011. “Centralized Sanctioning and Legitimate Authority Promote Cooperation in Humans", Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108(27):11023-11027.
A. Ghaziani, D. Baldassarri, 2011. “Cultural Anchors and the Organization of Difference: A Multi-method Analysis of LGBT Marches on Washington,” American Sociological Review, 76: 179-206.
D. Baldassarri, 2011. “Partisan Joiners: Associational Membership and Political Polarization in America (1974-2004),” Social Science Quarterly, 92(3): 631-655.
D. Baldassarri, A. Gelman, 2008. “Partisans Without Constraint: Political Polarization and Trends in American Public Opinion,” American Journal of Sociology, 114(2): 408-46.
D. Baldassarri, M. Diani, 2007. “The Integrative Power of Civic Networks,” American Journal of Sociology, 113(3): 735-80.
D. Baldassarri, P. Bearman, 2007. “Dynamics of Political Polarization,” American Sociological Review, 72: 784-811.