Social conflicts are unavoidable, but they do not make it impossible for human beings to live together. But how can we be certain that conflicts will not escalate, that the other parties will abide by the rules, that institutions will protect us against transgressions and that the social world as a whole is sufficiently stable so that we can orient our actions in it in meaningful ways? The answer to these questions is trust. Trust creates a form of 'insecure security' that can never be fully redeemed and yet it holds the secret of social cooperation. But how is trust being formed, what are its sources?
As a joint research initiative between Goethe University and the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt, ConTrust will adopt a different approach to the dominant trends in research on conflict and trust. Firstly, it is not based on the assumption that the notion of trust is opposed to that of conflict, but instead that trust only manifests itself, takes shape and demonstrates its value in conflict: trust in and through conflict. Secondly, the initiative aims to develop methodologies which transcend conventional disciplinary boundaries of research on trust and conflict, as well as the gulf separating empirical and normative analyses. Thirdly, the research of the initiative will frame the 'question of trust' as one that enquires into new qualities of uncertainty (and insecurity) which did not become apparent for the first time in the corona pandemic (but there especially). This includes reflection on the changing media in which trust and mistrust are communicated and constituted and conflicts are represented. Fourthly, in contrast to the majority of alternative approaches, its research will make it clear that the notion of trust should not be viewed in an exclusively positive light. Rather, trust can also assume authoritarian forms which are politically destructive and deny freedom. Finally, the project aims to draw practical conclusions concerning possibilities of shaping conflicts to promote productive ways of generating and stabilizing trust. Fostering dialogue with society is thus integral to our research.
These assumptions and intentions will inform our joint, interdisciplinary empirical and normative research on the dynamics of trust in central conflict situations, ranging from democratic structures to international politics, markets, discourses of knowledge and the media. Over the next four years, we plan to develop instruments for diagnosing the dynamics of trust and distrust in typical constellations of conflict and to form an international centre for research on trust and conflict. Key measures for achieving this goal will be the targeted recruitment and promotion of outstanding early and mid-career-level researchers to complement and strengthen existing expertise. In addition, the alliance plans to establish several new professorships to enhance the diversity and heighten the profile of research in Frankfurt. The directors of the program, located at the Normative Orders Research Centre of Goethe University Frankfurt, are Prof. Nicole Deitelhoff and Prof. Rainer Forst.
