In times of crisis such as the Covid-19 outbreak, trust is essential to bring communities together and ensure that mitigating measures are effective.

If people do not trust each other, it would be very tough to deal with the economic, social and emotional challenges created by the pandemic, and even less possible for societies to pick themselves up afterwards.

History brings some good news. Based on an analysis of the European Social Survey published in 2018 in the journal Social Indicators, social trust in societies that had to battle the 2008 economic crisis remained stable.

In fact, Greece, one of the hardest-hit economies, saw an increase in social trust. This arose because people turned to one another for social support in those difficult times.

However, in many global cities which have heterogeneous populations, trust levels are likely to be substantially lower than places where the population is homogeneous.

People tend to trust others who are like them, because we assume they would behave in similar ways.

Trust can be more difficult among people who do not have the same heritage, practise the same traditions, or subscribe to similar beliefs. Differences could be amplified easily and exploited potentially.

As a multiracial and multicultural society, Singaporeans are cautious generally about whom we trust. In the 2018 IPS-OnePeople.sg Indicators of Racial and Religious Harmony survey, we asked respondents what proportion of each ethnic group — none, less than half, about half, more than half, or all — they would trust to help them during a health crisis.

We provided the severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) as an example of such a crisis. We found that 63 per cent of the over 4,000 respondents indicated that they would trust more than half or all of their fellow-nationals from other ethnic backgrounds.

The more optimistic among us will applaud the results, particularly since they mark an increase from a 2013 survey, where only 56 per cent indicated trusting more than half of Singaporeans from other races.

The survey indicates that, despite Singapore’s diverse population, Singaporeans expect one other to behave in a responsible manner.

The more sceptical, however, will acknowledge that there is still a trust gap in our society, and this could be weakened by Covid-19.

There are a number of examples of situations which decrease trust. We hear about socially irresponsible individuals who have continued going about their regular lives despite being sick or flouting official notices to stay at home.

There also have been news about groups that have continued gathering despite the worsening situation, or people going overseas despite travel advisories strongly discouraging such action.

Besides reported incidents, we also may inadvertently hold stereotypes of certain groups which make us believe that they would not take heed of the current advisories.

Many international news outlets have reported that groups of young people have continued with their holidays or party plans in large groups since they do not think that they are highly susceptible to major health consequences related to the virus.

Some Singaporeans may suspect that migrant workers hailing from different societies may not hold to the same hygiene standards or heed government calls for social distancing.

The economic fallout that comes with the pandemic could also be another potential cause of distrust.

Weakening economic situations in the labour market can erode social networks in the private and public spheres, as people become less trusting when competing for a scarce number of available jobs. Selfish behaviour can arise from fear of losing out in economically challenging seasons.

The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) has moved Singapore’s 2020 growth forecast from the original projection of -0.5 to 1.5 per cent to -4 to -1 per cent. So, distrust of others is likely to grow.

How can we buffer the onslaught on social trust that stem from these different sources?

Researchers argue that when people find it hard to trust others, they should at least be able to trust institutions. And institutions here have shown that they can be depended on to act for the welfare of Singaporeans.

The Singapore Government’s measures to mitigate the Covid-19 situation, which were announced recently, include much-needed injections into the hardest-hit industries, more financial support for self-employed and small and medium enterprises, as well as generous training grants.

These measures reduce the feeling among Singaporeans that they have to compete for scarce resources. Rather than making survival an individualistic journey through adversity, Singaporeans’ distrust of others during this period can hopefully be reduced.

The Government also has announced firm legislative measures to penalise those who intentionally breach social distancing measures or leave their homes when they are supposed to stay in to recover from an infection.

It has announced that it will step up enforcement through increasing the size of enforcement teams. These measures give people greater confidence that those around them, even if not civic-minded, will be forced to be considerate about their behaviour.

But even as these institutions help to set new social norms, it is still important to retain and build trust among the community.

Our sense of trust — and subsequently solidarity with others who live on this island — can be strengthened as we reflect on the many endeavours that communities have put together to support one another in this crisis.

There are some bright spots that have sprung up from within the community already.

The Share-the-Care movement initiated by the Families For Life Council, as part of the #SGUnited efforts, has resulted in baskets of care being distributed to the many unsung heroes in the community, such as cleaners.

Other beneficiaries include households which need some cheer while they are cooped up at home. Ground-up groups are finding creative ways to look out for the most vulnerable in our community and those affected by Covid-19.

We hope that more formal and informal initiatives will address the unfolding social consequences of Covid-19.

In a parliamentary speech, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat highlighted the need for the population to look after those in need and to trust each other, all while fostering a culture of social responsibility.

Even as we have institutional resources to reduce the impact on our economy, maintaining social trust will be vital to cope with this crisis and emerge stronger as a nation.

 

Dr Mathew Mathews is Head of IPS Social Lab and Senior Research Fellow, and Teo Kay Key is Research Associate at the Institute of Policy Studies, National University of Singapore.

This piece was first published in TODAY on 9 April 2020.

Top photo from iStock.