Similarity vs. homogeneity: contextual effects in explaining trust

Abstract

Diversity has powerful advantages, but may also generate internal tensions and low interpersonal trust. Despite extensive attention to these questions, the relationship between diversity and trust is often misunderstood and findings methodologically flawed. In this article, we specify two different mechanisms and adherent hypotheses. An individual might base her decision to trust on her perceived social similarity in relation to others in the community, that is, a similarity hypothesis. However, in a homogenous context, she might expect trustworthy behavior irrespective of her own social position due to signals of low degrees of social conflict and dense social networks, that is, a homogeneity hypothesis. Prior research has pinpointed only one of these mechanisms. The homogeneity hypothesis has not been explicated, and when the intention has been to test the similarity hypothesis, the homogeneity hypothesis has unintentionally been tested instead. The results are straightforward. While the homogeneity hypothesis is strongly supported, the findings speak against the similarity hypothesis.

Losing Wallets, Retaining Trust? The Relationship Between Ethnic Heterogeneity and Trusting Coethnic and Non-coethnic Neighbours and Non-neighbours to Return a Lost Wallet

“…Öberg et al 2011). The homophily principle (McPherson et al 2001) suggests that interpersonal trust is lower between individuals from different ethnic backgrounds.…”

The street level and beyond: The impact of ethnic diversity on neighborhood cohesion and fear of crime among Dutch natives and nonnatives

“…For theoretical and methodological reasons, we expect stronger diversity effects at a smaller spatial scale. Theoretically, it is often assumed that the negative effects of ethnic diversity are most pronounced in smaller contexts (Putnam, 2007) because people spend most of their free time in their immediate residential surroundings (Öberg, Oskarsson, & Svensson, 2011). Inhabitants might thus be more aware of the ethnic composition of smaller contexts (Sluiter et al, 2015).…”

The Role of Dynamic Social Capital on Economic Development Partnerships Within and Across Communities

“…As such, this study followed previous social capital literature by using the indirect proxy variable of homogeneity to measure the cognitive dimensions of social capital (Alesina & La Ferrara, 2005;Anderson & Paskeviciute, 2006;Glaeser & Alesina, 2004;Jordahl & Gustavsson, 2006;Newton & Delhey, 2005;Putnam, 2007;Oberg, Oskarsson, & Svensson, 2011;Vigdor, 2004: World Bank, 1997. It is difficult to directly measure levels of cognitive social capital because the dimension represents an individual's intangible cognition.…”