This project explores the intricate relationship between trust and social movements, aiming to integrate the existing literature on trust dynamics with the study of social mobilisation. Trust is examined in two primary dimensions: vertical (political) trust, reflecting confidence in institutions or regimes, and horizontal (social) trust, encompassing interpersonal trust among movement members. By conceptualising trust as both a precondition and an outcome of mobilisation, the project investigates how trust dynamics evolve during protests, influence participation, and impact the effectiveness of movements. Special attention is given to the interplay between different types of trust, their transformation over time, and their role in shaping the strategies, emotions, and interactions of social movement actors.
Empirical research methods, including interviews, were applied to analyse trust dynamics across varying political regimes and global contexts. The project was interested in these questions: To what extent and in what way does mobilisation by and between social movements in Unite Behind depend on trust? If so, what kinds of trust are in play? Conversely, does the process of mobilisation in a collaborative way contribute to greater horizontal trust within and between social movements, and if so, what forms of trust, and under what conditions?
