The glue that binds or divides: social trust in South Africa

Abstract

The recent hosting of the 2010 World Cup has reinvigorated debates about social cohesion and the extent to which South Africans are united. Central to the argument of social cohesion is the notion of social trust, also referred to as generalised or interpersonal trust. In this article RONNIE MMOTLANE, JARE STRUWIG and BEN ROBERTS examine the extent to which South Africans express trust in each other, how we compare to other countries, as well as individual characteristics associated with trust.