Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book contends that trust should be one of the key notions in the study of International Relations (IR) and that it is a concept that creates greater understanding when it comes to analysing international politics. It explains a common methodology to a qualitative method in measuring trust, in particular a textual analysis, in applying a rationalist, psychological, or constructivist approach to the data. The book approaches the question of trust from a constructivist perspective, showing how trust is connected to identity and best understood as a socially and narratively constructed concept. It focuses on rational and psychological approaches to trust in IR. The book ends with suggestions on the potential research agenda ahead. It concludes that research on trust has become more prevalent in International Relations.