Policy Brief No.193: Unpacking Affective Polarization in Afghanistan: Ethnic Politics, Elite Competition, and Online Divisive Content

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Affective polarization has been a persistent feature of Afghanistan’s society and politics in the past decades. However, with the return of the Taliban, the country has witnessed heightened affective polarization along ethnic and ideological lines, intricately linked with the elite’s behaviour and social media use. This article attempts to conceptualize the complex causal relations of affective polarization, elite behaviour, and social media platforms in Afghanistan’s fragmented social and political landscape.