Objective
"Hate speech and opinion polarization threaten democratic resilience, social cohesion, and citizen well-being across the globe. While computational methods have advanced the detection of toxic speech online, the underlying mechanisms that drive polarization and escalate hate remain poorly understood. GENPOLAR addresses this gap by applying a critical realist process perspective to uncover the generative mechanisms of polarization and hate speech in diverse online contexts. The project brings together a comparative partnership spanning Europe and Asia, organised around four national case studies. Brunel University London will investigate the effectiveness of Reddit's large-scale community bans (""the Great Ban"") in reshaping toxic user behaviour and mitigating hate speech. Università degli Studi di Salerno will examine migration and populist debate on Twitter/X and in the comment sections of major Italian news portals. Insan Haklari Okulu Dernegi will study immigration discourse in Türkiye across online forums, social media and national news portals, contributing a human rights perspective on digital media. Yonsei University (South Korea) will analyse gender-based conflicts that have become flashpoints for extreme polarization in digital spaces. Budapesti Corvinus Egyetem contributes process mining and computational expertise to cross-case comparison. Together, these case studies provide a cross-cultural basis to identify similarities and differences in the mechanisms that fuel polarization. GENPOLAR integrates computational social science methods (NLP, stance detection, network analysis, clustering) with qualitative inquiry to move beyond surface-level correlations. By developing process theories of polarization grounded in critical realism, the project will explain how interventions (such as community bans or moderation) succeed or fail in transforming online behaviour. Through structured staff exchanges, interdisciplinary training, and comparative empirical work, GENPOLAR will build a lasting research network that bridges computational methods, social theory, and policy relevance. The project will generate actionable insights for scholars, platform managers, and policymakers seeking to counter online hate and polarization, while equipping a new generation of researchers with the skills to tackle one of the most urgent challenges."
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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HORIZON.1.2.3 - Strengthening Human Resources and Skills Development across the European Research Area
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-SE - HORIZON TMA MSCA Staff Exchanges
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2026-SE-01
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
UB8 3PH UXBRIDGE
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.