Social Class Predicts Generalized Trust But Only in Wealthy Societies
This research examined the relationship between social class and generalized trust, or a belief that others have a benign intention in social interactions, in a diverse set of societies represented in the World Values Survey. The strength of the relationship varied significantly across societies: Al...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Journal Article |
| Published: |
Sage Publications
2012
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/34015 |
| _version_ | 1848754106644037632 |
|---|---|
| author | Hamamura, Takeshi |
| author_facet | Hamamura, Takeshi |
| author_sort | Hamamura, Takeshi |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | This research examined the relationship between social class and generalized trust, or a belief that others have a benign intention in social interactions, in a diverse set of societies represented in the World Values Survey. The strength of the relationship varied significantly across societies: Although social class was a positive predictor of generalized trust in wealthy countries, as reported in past research, among less wealthy countries social class was uncorrelated with trust. These results indicate that resources available to individuals of high social class may make a trusting belief more rewarding; nevertheless, in less wealthy societies, the socio-political economic infrastructure that supports generalized trust is unavailable, and therefore even individuals of high social class are reluctant to trust others. This finding extends prior theorizing on trust in finding the interactive relationship between an individual-level factor and a society level factor in shaping individuals’ inclination toward trust. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T08:35:08Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-34015 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T08:35:08Z |
| publishDate | 2012 |
| publisher | Sage Publications |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-340152017-09-13T15:07:51Z Social Class Predicts Generalized Trust But Only in Wealthy Societies Hamamura, Takeshi cross-cultural research social class trust wealth This research examined the relationship between social class and generalized trust, or a belief that others have a benign intention in social interactions, in a diverse set of societies represented in the World Values Survey. The strength of the relationship varied significantly across societies: Although social class was a positive predictor of generalized trust in wealthy countries, as reported in past research, among less wealthy countries social class was uncorrelated with trust. These results indicate that resources available to individuals of high social class may make a trusting belief more rewarding; nevertheless, in less wealthy societies, the socio-political economic infrastructure that supports generalized trust is unavailable, and therefore even individuals of high social class are reluctant to trust others. This finding extends prior theorizing on trust in finding the interactive relationship between an individual-level factor and a society level factor in shaping individuals’ inclination toward trust. 2012 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/34015 10.1177/0022022111399649 Sage Publications restricted |
| spellingShingle | cross-cultural research social class trust wealth Hamamura, Takeshi Social Class Predicts Generalized Trust But Only in Wealthy Societies |
| title | Social Class Predicts Generalized Trust But Only in Wealthy Societies |
| title_full | Social Class Predicts Generalized Trust But Only in Wealthy Societies |
| title_fullStr | Social Class Predicts Generalized Trust But Only in Wealthy Societies |
| title_full_unstemmed | Social Class Predicts Generalized Trust But Only in Wealthy Societies |
| title_short | Social Class Predicts Generalized Trust But Only in Wealthy Societies |
| title_sort | social class predicts generalized trust but only in wealthy societies |
| topic | cross-cultural research social class trust wealth |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/34015 |