  The widespread emergence of opinion polarization is often attributed to the
rise of social media and the internet, which can promote selective exposure and
the formation of echo chambers. However, experimental evidence shows that
exposure to opposing views through cross-cutting ties is common in both online
and offline social contexts, which frequently involve long-standing personal
relationships. To account for these facts, we have developed an opinion model
that applies to static contact structures, in which an agent's influence over
their neighbors depends on their similarity in opinion. Our findings suggest
that polarization can emerge in such static structures and, driven by an
increased narrow-mindedness, even in presence of non-negligible cross-cutting
ties. The polarized opinion distributions generated by our model closely
resemble those obtained in surveys about highly polarized issues, allowing us
to categorize various issues based on their controversial nature.
