Some thoughts on trust, collective identity, and the transition from state socialism

The existence of trust is an essential component of all human relationships. As such it has found a place as one of the fundamental concepts of sociologi cal analysis; from the 19th century and the theoretical insights of Emile Durkheim on the existence of a “pre-contractual” element in all social arrangements onwards, the importance of trust to the existence of society has been almost universally recognized.