“The more official, the less I believe”: Using focus groups to explore public opinion formation in politically polarized contexts
| dc.coverage | DOI: 10.1111/ssqu.13421 | |
| dc.creator | Pavez, Isabel | |
| dc.creator | Saldaña, Magdalena | |
| dc.creator | Cabalin, Cristian | |
| dc.creator | Scherman, Andrés | |
| dc.date | 2024 | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 46027,76032 | |
| dc.date.available | 46027,76032 | |
| dc.description | <p>Introduction: Public opinion studies have traditionally relied on survey analyses. However, a qualitative approach is needed to address opinion formation's multidimensional and contextual nature. In this study, we argue that focus groups are a technique that addresses these unique challenges. Methods: We test this argument by looking at the case of Chile, a country marked by a streak of eight elections in three years, including two national referendums for a constitutional proposal. In this politically polarized setting, and over the course of the latter election year, we conducted 10 focus groups comprising a diverse sample in terms of gender, age, socioeconomic status, and occupation. As participants shared news diets, political views, and values, data suggest a tendency to independently verify information regardless of the source, and highly influenced by their close ones. Results: From a methodological perspective, our findings show that focus groups enable the assessment of the context-situated opinion formation process, reveal emerging themes, and promote open discussion. These results also reflect the multifaceted nature of public opinion formation in a dynamic media landscape and can inform other countries undergoing a crisis of institutional legitimacy.</p> | eng |
| dc.identifier | https://investigadores.uandes.cl/en/publications/43868f0f-1dd6-42a3-963d-895bfe545724 | |
| dc.language | eng | |
| dc.rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess | |
| dc.source | vol.105 (2024) nr.5 p.1587-1599 | |
| dc.subject | Chile | |
| dc.subject | focus groups | |
| dc.subject | news media | |
| dc.subject | political discussion | |
| dc.subject | public opinion | |
| dc.title | “The more official, the less I believe”: Using focus groups to explore public opinion formation in politically polarized contexts | eng |
| dc.type | Article | eng |
| dc.type | Artículo | spa |