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Rense Corten 🟥

@rensec.bsky.social
1.7K followers 1.2K following 751 posts

Sociologist at Utrecht University, NL, studying cooperation, trust, social networks, social media, platform economy, using computational social science and experimental methods. I mostly follow academics. Also: @RenseC@mastodon.online

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Rense Corten 🟥 @rensec.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Mark van den Oever van FDF roept zijn aanhang op "niet te buigen voor intimidatie". De ironie...
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European Commission @ec.europa.eu · 31/08/2026
We have designated ChatGPT as a Very Large Online Search Engine and Reddit and Roblox as Very Large Online Platforms under the Digital Services Act. They now have four months to comply with additional DSA obligations. #DSA
“Graphic with a purple background and yellow EU stars. Text reads: ‘ChatGPT, Reddit and Roblox designated under the Digital Services Act.’ The European Commission logo appears in the bottom right.”
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Rense Corten 🟥 @rensec.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
@beatricedegraaf.bsky.social als kanarie des vaderlands: komt zij op TV, dan is het mis
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Rense Corten 🟥 @rensec.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
This is very cool! Sociology, particle accelerator style, with 160 coauthors, 25k participants, and 90 countries. doi.org/10.1177/0003...
doi.org
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
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Rense Corten 🟥 @rensec.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Mwah... ik betwijfel sterk of opgroeien in rijkdom nou erg bevorderlijk is voor het karakter of voor een redelijkerwijs realistisch wereldbeeld www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2026/...
nrc.nl
Opinie | De beste opvoedtip is rijk zijn
Pedagogiek: Minder schermtijd, betere voeding, meer persoonlijke aandacht. Het is een stuk makkelijker om je kind verantwoord op te voeden wanneer je genoeg geld hebt, betoogt Olga Khazan.
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Rense Corten 🟥 @rensec.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
At my daughter's recent piano recital all students but one were girls. What's up with that? Among my generation, I know many men who play keys. Has piano, or playing music more generally, become a girls' thing?
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Rense Corten 🟥 @rensec.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
Wat een gedoe over die oproep van Sophie Straat. Dit soort oproepen is in punkrock-kringen helemaal niet ongebruikelijk. Storm in een glas water. nos.nl/ttapp
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Robert Kowalenko @rob-kowa.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
If 1 million Russians go to Red Square to scream "Stop the War!", 5000 will be beaten & 1000 arrested. If the next day, 999000 scream "stop the war", another 1000 will be arrested. The day after, another 1000, etc. After 2 month prisons will be full & 930000 Russians will still scream "stop the war"
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Rense Corten 🟥 @rensec.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
Are you a sociologist studying social inequality? Come join our awesome sociology department at @utrechtuniversity.bsky.social as an assistant professor www.uu.nl/en/organisat...
uu.nl
Assistant Professor in Social Inequality
Are you an expert in the sociology of social inequality or social stratification? Do you want to inspire students? Become our new assistant professor!
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Rense Corten 🟥 @rensec.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
The Argentinian team may be famous for their team spirit but it is the kind of team spirit that sometimes makes other people uncomfortable.
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Rense Corten 🟥 @rensec.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
Funny how even @pnas.org labels a social networks study as "economics" apparently for the sole reason that the authors are economists. There is nothing particularly "economic" about the research question, the theory, the application or the methods. www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
pnas.org
PNAS
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...
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Rense Corten 🟥 @rensec.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
People applauding this (well-intended) question misunderstand Mark Rutte. From my (Dutch) experience, Rutte does not care about things like self-respect. He's a pure strategist. You may disagree with his strategy or his goals, but in any case he's probably not doing it for himself or to look good.
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Taha Yasseri @tahayasseri.bsky.social · 19/12/2025
Thrilled to announce the Handbook of Computational Social Science is officially out! 956 pages, 118 authors, and truly global, interdisciplinary perspectives. Deep thanks to the contributors and anonymous reviewers who shaped this over 4 years. Buy your copy now! @elgarpublishing.bsky.social
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Rense Corten 🟥 @rensec.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
The debate on whether an overall "rise in connectivity" is a credible explanation of rising polarization continues in @pnas.org , now with a comment by Piotr Gorski et al., claiming that an increasing relative prevalence of *weak ties* is the more likely cause: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
pnas.org
More connections, higher polarization: The role of weak ties and status-driven dynamics | PNAS
More connections, higher polarization: The role of weak ties and status-driven dynamics
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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
The number of students admitted to top Ph.D. programs this fall dropped 15% from the previous year, after dropping 11% the previous year. The current administration is creating complete chaos for grant funding that is damaging a generation of new scientific talent. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/06/u...
nytimes.com
Decline of Ph.D. Admissions Could Imperil a ‘Generation of New Talent’
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Kim Weeden @weedenkim.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Today an international student said that she saw my "any person/any study/from any country" banner as she walked around campus on her 1st day in Ithaca. She said she felt relieved & welcomed, in an era when US has deserved reputation for being anything but welcoming. The banner stays. 2/2
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Miranda Lubbers @mirandalubbers.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
Intro to our Special Issue on #NetworkScaleUpMethod & #AggregatedRelationalData, w. Beate Völker & @mbojan.bsky.social: we reviewed 300 studies (full list available), mapped how the field evolved, summarized survey practice & proposed a reporting checklist & a cool new graph on biases bit.ly/4czhEoz
kwnsfk27.r.eu-west-1.awstrack.me
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Rense Corten 🟥 @rensec.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
Als het ik studenten wel eens vertel dat ik, toen ik in Amerika woonde, Netflix nog als postorderservice gebruikte denken ze dat ik ze voor de gek houd www.volkskrant.nl/cultuur-medi...
volkskrant.nl
Revolutionair maar ook hard voor werknemers: medeoprichter Reed Hastings zwaait af bij Netflix
Reed Hastings, mede-oprichter van Netflix, vertrekt in juni bij de streamingdienst die hij in 1997 als dvd-bezorgdienst begon. Deze Amerikaan veranderde de manier waarop de wereld naar films en televi...
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Rense Corten 🟥 @rensec.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
The last time "sociological" appeared in a QJE article title was apparently in 1935 academic.oup.com/qje/article/...
academic.oup.com
Changing Opportunity: Sociological Mechanisms Underlying Growing Class Gaps and Shrinking Race Gaps in Economic Mobility*
Abstract. We show that intergenerational mobility changed rapidly by race and class in recent decades in the United States and study the causal mechanisms
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Rense Corten 🟥 @rensec.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
Or in Utrecht, for that matter - we're currently hiring! www.uu.nl/en/organisat...
uu.nl
PhD-position: Collective Action, Cohesion and Inequality
Are you interested in how social process around climate-related behaviour work, this might be your project.
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Rense Corten 🟥 @rensec.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
Gister al bij de @nieuws.nos.nl, vandaag in de @volkskrant.nl: "verkeerd om percenteren". Wie het rendement van spelhervattingen wil weten moet kijken naar het aantal doelpunten per spelhervatting, niet naar het aantal of aandeel doelpunten uit spelhervattingen. www.volkskrant.nl/sport/zonder...
volkskrant.nl
Zonder Memphis Depay heeft Oranje een probleem. Waar is nu die spits met klasse?
Het moet meezitten, wil Oranje presteren op het WK. Vrijdag is de eerste test, tegen Noorwegen. Wat zijn de aandachtspunten voor de ploeg, behalve een aanvaller van topniveau?
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Rense Corten 🟥 @rensec.bsky.social · 22/03/2026
Serious Dutch newspapers now discuss whether it's appropriate that the king and queen spend the night at the White House during their upcoming visit, given who the host is.
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Rense Corten 🟥 @rensec.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
Very nice to see another introduction to mathematical sociology (there are not many of those around) by a well-respected scholar, but why does it have to cost more than €100 for 236 pages? That effectively prohibits its use as a textbook. www.e-elgar.com/shop/gbp/und...
e-elgar.com
Understanding Mathematical Sociology
‘Skvoretz brings the field of mathematical sociology to life, tracing its evolution through the key developments of the past century. This book is an essential contribution to the discipline, showcasi...
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Rense Corten 🟥 @rensec.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
Interessant: de Democratische Partij is in de afgelopen decennia meer een partij van beter gepositioneerden geworden, maar dat is *niet* omdat minder gepositioneerden kiezers de partij de rug toe hebben gekeerd, zoals vaak gedacht. Benieuwd hoe dat in Nederland zit. www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
pnas.org
Elites moved toward democrats more than nonelites moved away: Income, education, and occupational class in US presidential elections, 1980–2020 | PNAS
Recent discussion of voting in US elections claims a strong movement of White working-class voters away from voting for Democrats, with much discus...
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Chris Bail @chrisbail.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
Want to learn about computational social science *for free* and identify new research partners across academic fields? Apply to one of the 2026 Summer Institutes in Computational Social Science (described in yellow in the attached map) here: sicss.io/locations
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Rense Corten 🟥 @rensec.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
For those following along, some thoughts on Thurner et al.'s reply to our critique to their "connectivity causes polarization" claim. At first sight, this looks like a solid rejoinder, perhaps even justifying the mildly sarcastic tone. Upon closer inspection, not so much. So, another thread... 1/
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Rense Corten 🟥 @rensec.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
For those following along, some thoughts on Thurner et al.'s reply to our critique to their "connectivity causes polarization" claim. At first sight, this looks like a solid rejoinder, perhaps even justifying the mildly sarcastic tone. Upon closer inspection, not so much. So, another thread... 1/
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Rense Corten 🟥 @rensec.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
Claude.ai just apologized for wasting my time
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ODISSEI @odissei.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
Today at 12:00, join us for an Online Introduction to High-Resolution Geospatial LISS Data in SANE 🧑‍💻 🔗 zoom.us/j/93104040907
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Datagraver @datagraver.com · 18/02/2026
Sterfte NL met primaire doodsoorzaak drugs, absolute aantallen.
Grafiek van sterfte in NL met primaire doodsoorzaak drugs.			
Data			
Jaar	Drugs excl alcohol en tabak	Alcohol	Tabak
2014	123	882	19017
2015	198	957	19244
2016	235	989	19587
2017	262	974	19420
2018	224	1034	19275
2019	252	939	19272
2020	295	1019	20481
2021	298	991	20955
2022	332	1092	20221
2023	338	1125	19880
2024	378	1056	19220
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Manlio De Domenico @manlius.bsky.social · 16/02/2026
A lot of “network analysis” about the Epstein Files. Nearly all of them missing the point: when a system operates under strong incentives for discretion, what gets documented is NOT a neutral sample of reality. Results are conditional on what is observed! open.substack.com/pub/manlius/...
open.substack.com
The “Epstein Files” and the anatomy of hidden social networks
How secrecy reshapes structure and why its analysis is conditional on the data
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Thijs Bol @thijsbol.bsky.social · 16/02/2026
I’m looking for three PhD students for my new ERC project, starting 1 September. The goal is to understand how firms shape inequality in workers’ careers—using population registers. Please spread the word! Deadline is March 8, more info here (see projects 4-6): ics-graduateschool.nl/vacancies/
ics-graduateschool.nl
Vacancies | ICS
ICS Sociology PhD positions vacancies Graduate school program Social Sciences Methodology
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Saskia Bonjour @saskiabonjour.bsky.social · 14/02/2026
Deze collega's schrijven: "Zo berichte NRC over een studie die liet zien dat migratieonderzoekers met uiteenlopende ideologische opvattingen tot tegenstelde conclusies kwamen op basis van dezelfde dataset" Deze grafiek uit de studie laat zien dat dat n volstrekt onjuiste interpretatie is.
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Rense Corten 🟥 @rensec.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
📢WORK! At the Sociology department of @utrechtuniversity.bsky.social we are hiring a postdoc who will work on applications of AI in sociological research. Join our vibrant-yet-cohesive research community doing cutting-edge research. Please share or apply! www.uu.nl/en/organisat...
uu.nl
Postdoctoral researcher on applications of AI in sociological research
Are you able to lead sociological research into the AI age?
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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
A meta-analysis on reducing discrimination finds: 1) passive interventions, such as short-term education or bias reminders, are ineffective 2) targeting behavior directly to inhibit bias (eg making individuals accountable or changing social norms) is helpful psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?d...
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Rense Corten 🟥 @rensec.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
I feel like there's a lot of missed opportunities for cool titles here
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Rense Corten 🟥 @rensec.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
Earlier, I voiced my doubts here about a recent PNAS paper claiming that an alleged "rise in connectivity" explains an increase in polarization. PNAS was kind enough to publish our comments this week: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
pnas.org
More social interactions, more polarization? The evidence is not there | PNAS
More social interactions, more polarization? The evidence is not there
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Rense Corten 🟥 @rensec.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
Van de 18 ministerskandidaten zijn er acht jonger dan ik. Toch best confronterend.
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Michał Bojanowski @mbojan.bsky.social · 09/02/2026
Today Springer published an Open Access book edited by @janlo.de , Marijn Keijzer and myself covering a diverse range of Computational Social Science approaches to questions about social cohesion and polarization. Come and get it at link.springer.com/book/10.1007... 🧵1/4
link.springer.com
Computational Social Science of Social Cohesion and Polarization
This open access book explores the decay of social cohesion in democratic societies through the lens of Computational Social Science (CSS)
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Theo Sanderson @theo.io · 08/02/2026
I made a map of 3.4 million Bluesky users - see if you can find yourself! bluesky-map.theo.io I've seen some similar projects, but IMO this seems to better capture some of the fine-grained detail
bluesky-map.theo.io
Bluesky Map
Interactive map of 3.4 million Bluesky users, visualised by their follower pattern.
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Rense Corten 🟥 @rensec.bsky.social · 09/02/2026
Fascinating new working paper by @bokanyie.bsky.social and colleagues showing a gradual decrease in social closure in the Netherlands over 10 years, based on population networks arxiv.org/abs/2602.002...
arxiv.org
Fragmentation of a longitudinal population-scale social network: Decreasing structural social cohesion in the Netherlands
Population-level dynamics of social cohesion and its underlying mechanisms remain difficult to study. In this paper, we propose a network approach to measure the evolution of social cohesion at the po...
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WOinActie.bsky.social @woinactie.bsky.social · 05/02/2026
Uitstekende column van ‘onze eigen’ Willem Halffman. www.voxweb.nl/bericht/de-a...
voxweb.nl
De aanslag op de universiteiten steunde op een draagvlak dat nog steeds aanwezig is - Vox magazine
COLUMN - Waarom, vraagt columnist Willen Halffman zich af, moest er zo nodig bezuinigd worden op de universiteiten? 'Daar ligt nu onze grote uitdaging: hoe maken we van onze universiteiten instellinge...
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Jona de Jong @jonadejong.bsky.social · 02/02/2026
Do ordinary Republicans and Democrats really avoid each other in everyday life? In a new working paper with Delia Baldassarri, we present descriptive and experimental evidence to challenge the view that partisanship drives the formation of social relationships. osf.io/preprints/so... 1/15
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Rense Corten 🟥 @rensec.bsky.social · 31/01/2026
Aan dit soort berichtgeving hebben we weinig. Wat is een "AI-camera"? nos.nl/ttapp
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Mark Riedl @markriedl.bsky.social · 31/01/2026
“We found that using AI assistance led to a statistically significant decrease in mastery.” Props to Anthropic for studying the effects of their creation and reporting results that are not probably what they wished for www.anthropic.com/research/AI-...
anthropic.com
How AI assistance impacts the formation of coding skills
Anthropic is an AI safety and research company that's working to build reliable, interpretable, and steerable AI systems.
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Tom van der Meer @tomwgvdmeer.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
Let wel: De Staatscommissie Parlementair Stelsel (cie-Remkes) pleitte weloverwogen tégen een hogere kiesdrempel. Er zijn aanpassingen mogelijk die minder verstoren (oa aantal benodigde handtekeningen voor verkiezingsdeelname). De commissie pleitte ook níét voor hervorming kiesstelsel Eerste Kamer.
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wes(is no longer)injapan @wesinjapan.bsky.social · 26/01/2026
goddamn it.
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