Distrustful? So's Everyone Else

MONDAY, December 4 (eFit.com) - You aspire to live in a gated community; you wouldn't dream of borrowing a cup of sugar; you arm yourself with pepper spray in broad daylight. If this sounds like you, take heart. A study from Ohio State University suggests you're not alone.

Results showed that Americans' trust in others declined about 10 percent between 1975 and 1994.

The study, published in a recent issue of The American Journal of Sociology looked at data from the General Social Survey, a nationwide survey that asked 12,000 to 14,000 people over two decades several questions about trust, such as: Would others usually try to take advantage of you if given the chance?

"A lot of people thought, yes, they would," says Pamela Paxton, author of the study and assistant professor of sociology at Ohio State University in Columbus.

The not-so-bad news? The study showed that trust in institutions such as government and religious groups did not decline over the same period and that people kept up their memberships in clubs and organizations.

"People feel they can still trust institutions, and that's good for maintaining democracy," says Paxton. If you don't trust others, especially those in positions of political power, "you're going to be unwilling to put your fate in their hands," she says.

Overall, however, Paxton's study points to the conclusion that the sense of community in the United States -- what sociologists call social capital -- is slowly evaporating. Bill Berkowitz, associate professor of psychology at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, contends, however, that one narrow study doesn't tell what's really going on. "I don't believe sense of community can be measured by any one indicator," he says. "It's a big concept. It's a big country. It's hard to pin down."

Berkowitz thinks that it's good to feel you belong to a community. Besides helping maintain democracy, a sense of community -- a friendly chat across the fence, for example -- may help keep you healthy. "People who have strong social support networks literally live longer," says Berkowitz.

Similarly, trusting ties between neighbors can help combat crime coming into the neighborhood through cooperative watches and other activities, Paxton says.

What To Do:

While the government, the schools and churches can help bring people together with programs and events, each person also counts. "You have to get out there and make an effort," says Berkowitz. Things like baking cookies for a neighbor, smiling as you pass someone on the sidewalk or shoveling your elderly neighbor's sidewalk after a snowstorm -- "those small acts, multiplied by 270 million Americans, can have a cumulative impact," says Berkowitz.

On a larger scale, you might consider getting involved in local politics or rallying a like-minded group on a subject or cause you're interested in or organizing a block party. All told, civic deeds like these aren't glamorous. "But they're the stuff of community life," says Berkowitz.

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