[Trust and power--three interrelationships]

Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen. 2001 Dec 10;121(30):3617-9.
[Article in Norwegian]

Abstract

Trust is not always an idyllic phenomenon; it may also serve as a context in which power is exercised. Reflecting on power in relation to trust gives us a richer theoretical framework for analysing the social conditions for establishing, maintaining and eroding relations of trust. This article proposes three interrelationships between trust and power: power may create trust; unequal distribution of power may affect the conditions for establishing and maintaining relations of trust; the internal structure of interest and control is identical in some types of trust relations and some types of power relations.

MeSH terms

  • Humans
  • Interpersonal Relations*
  • Physician-Patient Relations*
  • Power, Psychological*
  • Social Control, Informal*