Family Socialization, Trust and Change: Evidence from Russia

Abstract

Abstract Social science debates about sources of generalized trust have prompted growing attention to how children develop faith in others. Much of the evidence, however, has come from relatively stable and prosperous societies. How might children’s trust differ in societies that have experienced rapid and destabilizing transitions, as in postcommunist states? Using new evidence on Russia from three waves of a survey between 2006 and 2014, the authors show that children’s trust is relatively low, reflecting low trust among parents, children’s sense of economic insecurity, and their doubts about the fairness of key institutions. But rising cohorts since the early 2000s display more trust than their parents and than their earlier counterparts. Thus old patterns of distrust do not necessarily persist intact.