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Perspectives on Trust: Toward a Historical Mapping of the Concept and Its Dimensions

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  • Boštjan Vrečar

    (Department of Sociology, University of Graz, Universitätsstraße 15, 8010 Graz, Austria)

Abstract

Social trust, understood as a moral evaluation of the trustworthiness or faith in the benevolence of one’s fellow citizens, represents a value that has been the subject of intense debate and growing research attention in recent decades. Nevertheless, the conceptual roots of trust and the opposing arguments that challenge them are rarely examined. This paper takes the necessary step of examining the evolution of the concept of trust. It identifies five distinct sub-perspectives on trust, tracking some of their assumptions, conceptualizations, and dimensions: societal, civic, institutional, personality, and rational choice perspectives. It also provides a brief historical overview of theoretical perspectives and influences among a number of relevant authors. It concludes with a brief discussion of the relevance of conceptual analysis and its connections with ongoing debates on trust. The aim of the article is to address the ambiguity and provide a conceptual framework for researchers to situate their research within the extensive literature on trust.

Suggested Citation

  • Boštjan Vrečar, 2025. "Perspectives on Trust: Toward a Historical Mapping of the Concept and Its Dimensions," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 14(2), pages 1-26, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jscscx:v:14:y:2025:i:2:p:77-:d:1580537
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Bargain, Olivier & Aminjonov, Ulugbek, 2020. "Trust and compliance to public health policies in times of COVID-19," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 192(C).
    2. Tarrow, Sidney, 1996. "Making Social Science Work Across Space and Time: A Critical Reflection on Robert Putnam's Making Democracy Work," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 90(2), pages 389-397, June.
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