Explaining the Relationship between Social Trust and Value Similarity: The Case of Estonia

• Author: Mai Beilmann, Laur Lilleoja
• Pages: 14-21

14 JURIDICA INTERNATIONAL 25/2017

Mai Beilmann Laur Lilleoja

PhD PhD

University of Tartu Tallinn University

Explaining the Relationship

between Social Trust

and Value Similarity:

The Case of Estonia

1. Introduction

Generalised social trust has been proven to be extremely benef‌i cial both at country and at community level:

it is related to many positive outcomes, among them good governance and an ef‌f ective state*1,*2,*3, eco-

nomic growth and good economic performance*4,*5,*6, crime reduction*7,*8, and greater overall happiness

and well-being*9,*10. These predominantly positive societal outcomes of generalised social trust result from

one important quality of trust – it facilitates co-operation between people and among groups of people.

Many social theorists have considered trust an important building block of society precisely because society

could not function without co-operation. N. Luhmann*11, for example, is one of those authors who empha-

sises the importance of trust as a facilitator of co-operation and a major contributor to the maintenance of

social order at the micro level.

 E.M. Uslaner. The Moral Foundations of Trust. New York: Cambridge University Press . – DOI: https://doi.org/./

CBO.

 P.F. Whiteley. Economic growth and social capital. Political Studies  (), pp. –. – DOI: https://doi.

org/./-..

 S. Zmerli, K. Newton. Social trust and attitudes toward democracy. Public Opinion Quarterly  (), pp. –. – DOI:

https://doi.org/./poq/nfn.

 I. Neira et al. Social capital and growth in European regions. Regional and Sectoral Economic Studies  () / ,

pp. –.

 E.M. Uslaner (see Note ).

 P.F. Whiteley (see Note ).

 S. Akcomak, B. ter Weel. The impact of social capital on crime: Evidence from the Netherlands. Regional Science and Urban

Economics  (), pp. –. – DOI: https://doi.org/./j.regsciurbeco....

 P.F. Whiteley (see Note ).

 R. Inglehart. Trust, well-being and democracy. In M.E. Warren (ed.). Democracy and Trust. Cambridge: Cambridge Uni-

versity Press , pp. –. – DOI: https://doi.org/./cbo..

 R.D. Putnam. Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community. New York: Simon and Schuster . –

DOI: https://doi.org/./..

 N. Luhmann. Trust and Power. New York: Wiley .

https://doi.org/10.12697/JI.2017.25.02