Biography
As a cultural sociologist, I aim to rigorously scrutinize how social groups give meaning to social issues, how this informs their actions and how it shapes their responses to new information and the (urban) environment they live in.
Scholars and policymakers increasingly recognize that such an eye for culture is crucial for understanding pressing social issues, ranging from societal clashes about democratic institutions and policies to unresponsiveness to information campaigns, and from obesity to resistance to governmental health campaigns.
I aim for interdisciplinary research endeavors addressing contemporary social issues through both quantitative and qualitative methods, ranging from multilevel analyses, survey experiments, Implicit Association Tests and Diagonal Reference Models to qualitative content analyses, focus groups and in-depth interviews. Currently, I collaborate with scholars in arts and culture studies, psychology, public administration, public health, urban geography and sociology.
My research has been supported by grants (Conflict & Security and personal VENI and VIDI grants) awarded by The Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO), an EUR Fellowship and several smaller grants.
I am proud that the Erasmus Graduate School of Social Sciences and the Humanities has given me the award for "Best PhD Supervisor".
In addition to my research activities, I teach various courses, among others in Erasmus University's Master specialization Politics & Society (which I co-founded) and the top-rated Research Master in Sociology of Culture, Media and the Arts.
I also serve as board member of the Netherlands Sociological Association, as reviewer for various journals, and on the editorial board of the Dutch-Flemish peer-reviewed journal Tijdschrift Sociologie.
For an up-to-date overview of my research and teaching, please visit my Google Scholar Profile and my personal website.
Research interests: cultural conflict, political attitudes and behaviors, information provision, voting behavior, populism, welfare chauvinism, obesity, health behaviors
Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences
- dekoster@essb.eur.nl
More information
Work
- Jeroen van der Waal, Willem de Koster, Tim van Meurs, Kjell Noordzij, Joost Oude Groeniger & Julian Schaap (2024) - Advancing Stratification Research by Measuring Nondeclarative Cultural Capital: A National Population-Based Study Combining IAT and Survey Data - American Sociological Review, 89 (4), 735-760 - doi: 10.1177/00031224241261603
- Anne Hoekstra, Kjell Noordzij, Willem de Koster & Jeroen van der Waal (2024) - Kennis en ervaren status verklaren opleidingskloof in klimaatscepsis - [link]
- Kjell Noordzij, Willem de Koster & Jeroen van der Waal (2024) - Elitaire leefstijl politici vergroot steun voor harde anti-overheidsactie - [link]
- Kjell Noordzij, Willem de Koster & Jeroen van der Waal (2024) - Politicians' high-status signals make less-educated citizens more supportive of aggression against government: A video-vignette survey experiment - British Journal of Sociology, 75 (4), 500-518 - doi: 10.1111/1468-4446.13099
- Anne Hoekstra, Kjell Noordzij, Willem de Koster & Jeroen van der Waal (2024) - The educational divide in climate change attitudes: Understanding the role of scientific knowledge and subjective social status - Global Environmental Change, 86 - doi: 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2024.102851 - [link]
- Thijs Lindner, Stijn Daenekindt, Willem de Koster & Jeroen van der Waal (2024) - De betekenissen die Nederlanders aan verzorgingsstaatchauvinisme geven - [link]
- Tim van Meurs, Willem de Koster, Jeroen van der Waal & Joost Oude Groeniger (2024) - Sugar tax and product reformulation proposals reduce the perceived legitimacy of health-promotion institutions: a randomized population-based survey experiment - European Journal of Public Health, 34 (3), 454-459 - doi: 10.1093/eurpub/ckae013 - [link]
- Thijs Lindner, Jonathan Mijs, Willem de Koster & Jeroen van der Waal (2024) - Bevordert meer informatie over ongelijkheid steun voor basisinkomen? - [link]
- Kjell Noordzij, Willem de Koster & Jeroen van der Waal (2024) - Explaining the educational gradient in trust in politicians: A video-vignette survey experiment - West European Politics, 784-812 - doi: 10.1080/01402382.2023.2250163 - [link]
- Thijs Lindner, Stijn Daenekindt, Willem de Koster & Jeroen van der Waal (2024) - What do stances on immigrants' welfare entitlement mean?: Evidence from a correlational class analysis - British Journal of Sociology, 75 (3), 271-289 - doi: 10.1111/1468-4446.13078 - [link]
- Kjell Noordzij, Willem de Koster & Jeroen van der Waal (25 May 2024) - Een volkse uitstraling is het halve werk
- Willem de Koster & Jeroen van der Waal (21 October 2023) - British Journal of Sociology Prize Awarded to Kjell Noordzij, Willem De Koster, and Jeroen Van Der Waal
- Willem de Koster & Jeroen van der Waal (19 October 2023) - British Journal of Sociology Prize awarded to Kjell Noordzij, Willem de Koster, and Jeroen van der Waal
- Michael Berghman, Julian Schaap, Koen Eijck, Willem Koster & Jeroen Waal (2020) - Learning from Latency in Sociological Research: Using the Implicit Association Test to make sense of Timed-Surveys (Speaker)
Activity: Oral presentation › Academic - Willem Koster (2010) - 'I Like to Stand up Against Injustice': On a Social Movement Emerged at “Your Guide Against Senseless Speed Controls (Speaker)
Activity: Oral presentation › Academic - Willem Koster (2010) - European Journal of Political Research (Journal) (Editor)
Activity: Publication Peer-review › Academic - Willem Koster (2010) - Information, Communication and Society (print) (Journal) (Editor)
Activity: Publication Peer-review › Academic - Willem Koster (2010) - Sociologie (Journal) (Editor)
Activity: Publication Peer-review › Academic - Willem Koster (2009) - Information, Communication and Society (online) (Journal) (Editor)
Activity: Publication Peer-review › Academic - Willem Koster (2009) - Sociologie (Journal) (Editor)
Activity: Publication Peer-review › Academic - Willem Koster (2008) - Sociologie (Journal) (Editor)
Activity: Editorial work › Academic - Willem Koster (2008) - Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion (Journal) (Editor)
Activity: Publication Peer-review › Academic - Willem Koster (2008) - Social Forces (print) (Journal) (Editor)
Activity: Publication Peer-review › Academic
- Kjell Noordzij, Willem de Koster & Jeroen van der Waal (2023) - BJS Prize 2022
NWO
- Start date approval
- September 2022
- End date approval
- September 2025
- Place
- DEN HAAG
- Description
- Lid Wetenschappelijk Adviescollege NWO
Tijdschrift Sociologie
- Start date approval
- September 2022
- End date approval
- September 2025
- Place
- AMSTERDAM
- Description
- Lid redactieraad
European Social Survey
- Start date approval
- November 2023
- End date approval
- November 2026
- Place
- LONDEN
- Description
- Scientific Advisory Board European Social Survey
4.1 The Social Bases of Politics
- Year
- 2024
- Course Code
- FSWS-710
1.1C Introduction to Sociology
- Year
- 2024
- Course Code
- ESSB-S1010
Advanced Quantitative Methods
- Level
- MA-1
- Year Level
- MA-1
- Year
- 2024
- Course Code
- CS5005
3.2 Sociologische Vraagstukken 5
- Year
- 2024
- Course Code
- ESSB-S3010
1.1C Introduction to Sociology
- Year
- 2024
- Course Code
- FSWS-1010
4.1 Maatschappelijke polarisatie
- Year
- 2024
- Course Code
- ESSB-MS1000