Research project Social trust and democratic class struggle in modern welfare states

It is often implied that vibrant political struggles reflect a shortage in social cohesion. This project challenges this view by elaborating on the idea that the welfare state can be understood as a large-scale societal compromise between different social classes. As such, the welfare state may strengthen social cohesion, as social tensions and distributive conflicts are mitigated and converted into democratic class struggles. The project focuses on trust in fellow citizens as a core component of social cohesion in modern societies. There is no general theory of trust but rather a diversity of perspectives. One is micro-level oriented, focusing on how interpersonal social contacts mediate trust. Another perspective focuses on the macro level, examining how political institutions calibrate trust in fellow citizens. This project combines these two perspectives, exploring how political institutions and social contacts interact in shaping citizens’ social trust and political attitudes.