Dados is one of the most widely-read social sciences journals in Latin America. Created in 1966, it publishes innovative works, originating from academic research, by Brazilian and foreign authors. Edited by IESP-UERJ, it aims to reconcile scientific rigor and academic excellence with an emphasis on public debate based on the analysis of substantive issues of society and politics.
Dados vol. 49 n. 3 Rio de Janeiro 2006
Abstract
In this article we intend to demonstrate that mainstream interpretations of international survey results on the value of interpersonal trust are often imprecise and mistaken, since they ignore the different roles conflict-adjudicating institutions play in mediating interpersonal relations in the societies the survey is applied, and thus the capacity this institutions have in fashioning civic and political cultures. Consequently, the answers obtained in public opinion polls referring to the concept of trust end up translating a very distinct dimension from that originally intended by those conducting the study. At the same time, the assumption that culture is an independent variable that determines social and political relations runs unchecked by the methodology and is confirmed in the final interpretation of results. In short, due to such analytical weakness, the concept of interpersonal trust is turned ineffective as a tool for empirical measurement, thus leading to erroneous nomological conclusions.
Keywords: trust, civic culture, opinion polls, surveys
DOI: 10.1590/S0011-52582006000300001
Sleeping with the enemy: a critique of the concept of trust
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