Chinese Journal of Sociology

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Causal Mechanisms between Social Trust and Community Governance

Author 1：Chen Jie，Center for Public Opinion Research, Shanghai Jiao Tong University；College of Graduate Studies， University of Idaho；Author 2：Huhe Narisong， Shanghai University of Finance and Economics； Author 3：Lu Chunlong，China University of Politics and Law   

  1. Author 1：Chen Jie，Center for Public Opinion Research, Shanghai Jiao Tong University；College of Graduate Studies， University of Idaho；Author 2：Huhe Narisong， Shanghai University of Finance and Economics； Author 3：Lu Chunlong，China University of Politics and Law
  • Online:2011-11-20 Published:2011-11-20
  • Contact: Chen Jie，Center for Public Opinion Research, Shanghai Jiao Tong University；College of Graduate Studies， University of Idaho E-mail:jiechen@uidaho.edu
  • About author:作者1：陈捷上海交通大学国际与公共事务学院民意与舆情调查中心，爱达荷州立大学研究生学院 （Author 1：Chen Jie，Center for Public Opinion Research, Shanghai Jiao Tong University；College of Graduate Studies， University of Idaho）Email： jiechen@uidaho.edu；作者2：呼和·那日松上海财经大学公共经济与管理学院 （Author 2：Huhe Narisong， Shanghai University of Finance and Economics）； 作者3：卢春龙中国政法大学政治与公共管理学院 （Author 3：Lu Chunlong，China University of Politics and Law）

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Abstract:

This paper describes the mechanisms through which social trust affects grassroots community governance. We argue that this influence needs some intermediate channels to get fulfilled. Based on the past theories and empirical findings, we have selected and tested three such candidates, namely, election quality, activism, and civic organization. Our findings indicate that there do exist intermediate channels between social trust and local governance; in other words, social trust does have importance influence over community governance, but its impact is not direct. To be more specific, generalized trust is positively and significantly correlated with the quality of election, which in turn correlates positively with community governance; whereas particularized trust is negatively correlated with the quality of election and the creation of homeowners’ organizations, which in turn correlate negatively with the governance of community residential committees. In general, these findings resonate with the recent methodological trend in social sciences: that is, giving more attention to the study of micro causal mechanisms than macrolevel descriptions.

Key words: Social trust, Urban community governance, Causal mechanism