Publication
Repertoires of comparison: How common comparisons shape social and political life
This article introduces the concept of Repertoires of Comparison (RoCs) to explain how certain comparisons become deeply embedded in social and political life.
- Author
- Mischa Dekker, Thijs van Dooremalen & Galen Watts
- Date
- 24 April 2025
- Links
- Read the full article here
Unlike spontaneous or one-off comparisons, RoCs are widely shared, institutionalised reference points that guide how people, institutions, and societies evaluate themselves and others. They operate across various levels, local, national, global, and in diverse settings, from the media and politics to everyday social interactions.
Examples include comparing tragedies to 9/11 or using Greenwich Village as a model for urban policy. Such comparisons do more than describe, they shape moral judgments, define boundaries, and influence how we see the world.
The article argues that RoCs deserve focused sociological attention. Drawing on cultural sociology, it explores how these comparisons become taken-for-granted standards, how they emerge, shift, and why they matter. By doing so, it offers a new framework for understanding how shared comparisons shape identity, decision-making, and political discourse.