Curr. 2021 § 5 (1) 15: 

Trust is considered a - sometimes forgotten - basic concept of society. Both in the literature of the classics (Durkheim, Simmel) and in the sociological writings of the late 20th century (Goffman, Barber, Giddens, Luhmann, Misztal, Sztompka), forms of trust are treated as a condition of social cohesion. Today it is particularly important to show that social order is not based solely on the form and extent of surveillance and control, but rather that trust is an informal, quiet but essential form of cohesion.

Trust is to be explored at all levels of society (micro - meso - macro): self-confidence; trust in intimate couple relationships; trust between generations (parents-children); trust in the neighborhood; trust in strangers in the anonymous big city; trust in experts (pilots, doctors, lawyers etc.); trust in institutions (police, judiciary, health, education, etc.); confidence in the labor market (employer - employee); trust between professions (e.g. police and social work); trust in technology; System trust in political leadership (skepticism about science and politics).

First of all, however, one should think about trust as a basic concept of sociology: Luhmann, Giddens, Goffman, Coleman (possibly Sztompka, Misztal). Excerpts from sociological works are read on a journey through the theory of trust. The starting point and orientation literature is the introductory volume "Trust" by Martin Endress (2002).

After this introductory part, students in topic groups on trust contexts should deal critically and application-oriented with the different concepts of trust:

1. Family / partnership

2. Workplace: employer / employee / works council / trade unions

3. Technique, technology, digitization

4. Basic social trust in strangers in public space

5. System trust / institutions: health system, justice system, transport system, science

As part of the course, a conference will be held at the end, in which theories and contexts will be combined in individual "panels". At the end, students should be able to argue sociologically about trust contexts.

Processing of individual chapters of the basic reading (M. Endress).

Development of selected trust contexts in group work.

Group presentations as part of a scientific conference (panels) in the seminar - including individual written elaboration.

Final seminar paper

short oral presentation, active participation, written exercise work

Endress M. (2002): Vertrauen. Transcript Verlag. Bielefeld.

Hartmann M. und Offe C. (2001): Vertrauen – Grundlage des sozialen Zusammenhalts. Sammelband. Campus Verlag. Frankfurt am Main.

Giddens A. (1996): Konsequenzen der Moderne. Surhkamp. Frankfurt am Main

Hartmann M. (2011): Die Praxis des Vertrauens. Suhrkamp. Berlin.

Barber B. (1983): The Logic and Limits of Trust. New Brunswick. New York.

Luhmann N. (2014/orig. 1968): Vertrauen. Ein Mechanismus der Reduktion sozialer Komplexität. 5. Aufl. UVK Verlag. Konstanz und München.

Sztompka P. (2000): Trust. A Sociological Theory. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge.

Markova Ivana (Ed.)(2004): Trust and Democratic Transition in Post-Communist Europe. Proceedings of the British Academy 123.

Markova Ivana and Gillespie Alex (Eds.)(2007): Trust and Distrust: Sociocultural Perspectives. Information Age Publishing.

Misztal Barbara (1996): Trust in Modern Societies: The Search for the Bases of Social Order. Polity Press.

Richter Caroline: (2017): Vertrauen innerhalb von Organisationen. Transcript Verlag. Bielefeld.

Christian Schilcher, Mascha Will-Zocholl, Marc Ziegler (Hrsg.) (2012): Vertrauen und Kooperation in der Arbeitswelt. VS Springer Verlag.

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