ABSTRACT

Recent social science literature has paid increasing attention to the concept of trust, albeit with differing definitions of the term and its constituents and also with differing emphases on its societal origins, functions, and implications. Many of the early contributors to the literature focused on the role of trust in establishing and maintaining political legitimacy. More recently, discussion has shifted to the role of trust in hazard management and, more broadly, to the fundamental role of trust in modern society.