Micropolarization: performances of antagonism and struggles for recognition during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract This article theorizes how political divisions permeate social interaction, transforming the political into the personal in everyday life. Drawing on affective polarization research, we highlight the central role of identification and emotions in shaping political in-groups and out-groups. Moving beyond conventional measures of cross-group resentment, we conceptualize polarization as the lived experience of political antagonism. We argue that polarization materializes through struggles for recognition, shaped by the perception and processing of political conflict as it circulates through public communication channels. Adopting a performance-theoretical lens, we connect the symbolic language, emotions, and misrecognition in micropolarization to the broader public drama of political conflict. Using interview data on family and friendship disputes related to COVID-19 vaccination denial in the UK and Germany, we examine how public conflicts manifest in interpersonal relationships. This study suggests a research agenda that explores interactional dynamics across online and offline spaces, diverse social groups, and varying levels of relational involvement, offering a deeper understanding of the micro-foundations of political polarization.