Political difference and polarization in the family: The role of (non)accommodating communication for navigating identity differences

Abstract

This study joins the relatively modest literature examining the effects of political disagreement in the family. We consider the effects of communication accommodation on shared family identity in the context political disagreement. To do this, we utilize survey responses from a quota-stratified sample of participants in an online panel ( N = 833) taken immediately after the contentious 2016 presidential election. We find that more disagreement and more affective polarization are associated with less communication accommodation and that shared family identity suffers as a result. Furthermore, our findings reveal that respecting divergent values is the most influential communication accommodation strategy and is also among the most adversely affected by political differences in the family. We conclude that political disagreement in the family reduces the likelihood of communication that is respectful of differences in political values, but that this accommodation strategy is crucial to reduce the deleterious consequences that political differences can have on family relationships.