The project is based on the studies of moral values by American social psychologist Jonathan Haidt. According to Haidt, fundamental values align along two moral dimensions: universalism, which emphasises equality and global care, and particularism, which prioritises loyalty to specific communities. We investigate whether the tension between these moral foundations—and how they have been communicated by political elites and the media—has contributed to the decline of social democrats, the rise of populist movements, and polarisation around issues such as immigration and identity politics.
Research Questions
- How have moral values expressed by political elites and the media changed over time?
- How do voters' moral values relate to their political preferences?
- How do moral values influence polarisation around immigration and identity politics?
Our hypothesis is that social democrats and traditional media have increasingly emphasised universalist values, creating a moral distance from a significant portion of voters. This distance has provided space for populist challengers and the emergence of alternative media with a particularist orientation. To investigate this, our multidisciplinary research team will analyse decades of parliamentary speeches, party programmes, and media coverage from Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. Through surveys and experiments, we will also examine how moral values influence attitudes and behaviour. By studying how moral values correlate with new political divides, we aim to provide a deeper understanding of what drives political change and cultural turbulence in contemporary democracies.
