Trust is a force that supports society. It is essential due to the current societal discourse. In the past few years the industrialized world has experienced a recession. While discussing economics the challenges posed by the recession and possible solutions for it have also been discussed. In this discussion we concurrently come across matters like social networks, values, commitment, uncertainty and obligations. During the recession, factors such as the role of civil society, the third sector, their interplay, and morals and loyalty have become important. In other words, it is about trust and social capital.

Democracy engenders trust but also, once in place, the culture of trust helps to sustain democracy. Generalized trust is a form of trust that is evident among all members of the society; generalized trust occurs in an independent world where people contact strangers and trust in most people. Trust makes the civic society work, but it also helps a democratic administration to function better. Without generalized trust there would be no democracy.

Generalized trust needs shared moral space which links also to democracy. This moral space connects different actors despite of different views and opinions. High generalized trust has been emblematic in the Nordic societies. In Finland society has been built on the idea of common good in many senses. There has been an idea of common goals which can be achieved only by working together.

The parliamentary elections are held in about a month. It has been notable that in election discussion this working together in order to achieve the common goals that yield something good to the entire society is not that sexy anymore. It is emblematic that now, some of the candidates do call for solidarity, but still there is only a minor interest of solidarity in content wise:  their conception of solidarity is very limited. A good example is the discussion about EU bondages. Also in the national level there is rhetorical distribution of “we” and “the others”. The atmosphere seems to be much about looking after one’s own, narrow and immediate interests and disregarding the big picture, whether it comes to for example EU, development or economic policy.

In the light of these discussions an interesting question is whether people are still willing to make a “rational gamble” that others are trustworthy in general. To trust or not to trust?

Katariina Salmisalo
Project consultant
The writer is finishing her master’s thesis on trust within a political organization at the University of Jyväskylä.

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