Trust, Building on Cultural Commons — Pascal Gielen

Today it seems that suspicion regarding our fellow humans, the authorities, and enterprises is growing, blamed on not taking responsibility and feelings of impotence. How can we break through a culture of mistrust? We seek remedies in regulations, procedures, assurances, contracts, audits, and consultancy. We hope for good governance and transparency. But do these things create real trust? In this book, sociologist Pascal Gielen examines the crucial role played by cultural commons. After all, trust is a matter of culture, emotion, and even aesthetics. Wider trust begins with sharing vulnerabilities, and it is Gielen’s belief that the “common” provides the necessary scope.