Article Version of Record

Social representations of trust among teachers and principals in Cameroonian, Indian, and Finnish schools

Author(s) / Creator(s)

Pirttilä-Backman, Anna-Maija
Menard, Rusten
Verma, Jyoti
Kassea, Raul

Abstract / Description

Quantitative studies on trust often attempt to measure levels of trust, while neglecting local meanings of trust. These studies are usually based on Eurocentric models in Western cultures, though the models may have limited ecological validity. As a result, this study sought to investigate trust as locally produced structures and practices in Cameroon, Finland and India. In each country, teachers and principals were interviewed individually, while nineteen focus groups among teachers were also conducted (N = 111). The theory of social representations provides the methodological framework for the study. Our analyses suggest that in Cameroon understandings of trust were anchored in complementarity, in Finland in contracts, and in India in social hierarchies. We suggest that the Cameroonian representations were more fluid than in the other two countries, which may be due in part to the working arrangements there. In all of the national contexts, numerous metaphors and imagery helped to solidify trust as phenomena built in everyday practices. Cooperation was an important element in the data from all of the country contexts, although it had particular and varying meanings in each. Finally, we interpret culturally embedded dichotomies, or themata, that participants draw upon to imbue workplace trust with meaning. We discuss the analyses and interpretations in terms of local practices and the concrete conditions in which the participants worked.

Keyword(s)

qualitative emic constructionist grounded theory organizational trust social representations school Cameroon Finland India

Persistent Identifier

Date of first publication

2017-02-03

Journal title

Journal of Social and Political Psychology

Volume

5

Issue

1

Page numbers

29–57

Publisher

PsychOpen GOLD

Publication status

publishedVersion

Review status

peerReviewed

Is version of

Citation

Pirttilä-Backman, A.-M., Menard, R., Verma, J., & Kassea, R. (2017). Social representations of trust among teachers and principals in Cameroonian, Indian, and Finnish schools. Journal of Social and Political Psychology, 5(1), 29–57. https://doi.org/10.5964/jspp.v5i1.206
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Pirttilä-Backman, Anna-Maija
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Menard, Rusten
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Verma, Jyoti
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Kassea, Raul
  • PsychArchives acquisition timestamp
    2018-11-26T12:45:34Z
  • Made available on
    2018-11-26T12:45:34Z
  • Date of first publication
    2017-02-03
  • Abstract / Description
    Quantitative studies on trust often attempt to measure levels of trust, while neglecting local meanings of trust. These studies are usually based on Eurocentric models in Western cultures, though the models may have limited ecological validity. As a result, this study sought to investigate trust as locally produced structures and practices in Cameroon, Finland and India. In each country, teachers and principals were interviewed individually, while nineteen focus groups among teachers were also conducted (N = 111). The theory of social representations provides the methodological framework for the study. Our analyses suggest that in Cameroon understandings of trust were anchored in complementarity, in Finland in contracts, and in India in social hierarchies. We suggest that the Cameroonian representations were more fluid than in the other two countries, which may be due in part to the working arrangements there. In all of the national contexts, numerous metaphors and imagery helped to solidify trust as phenomena built in everyday practices. Cooperation was an important element in the data from all of the country contexts, although it had particular and varying meanings in each. Finally, we interpret culturally embedded dichotomies, or themata, that participants draw upon to imbue workplace trust with meaning. We discuss the analyses and interpretations in terms of local practices and the concrete conditions in which the participants worked.
    en_US
  • Publication status
    publishedVersion
  • Review status
    peerReviewed
  • Citation
    Pirttilä-Backman, A.-M., Menard, R., Verma, J., & Kassea, R. (2017). Social representations of trust among teachers and principals in Cameroonian, Indian, and Finnish schools. Journal of Social and Political Psychology, 5(1), 29–57. https://doi.org/10.5964/jspp.v5i1.206
    en_US
  • ISSN
    2195-3325
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12034/1424
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.1807
  • Language of content
    eng
  • Publisher
    PsychOpen GOLD
  • Is version of
    https://doi.org/10.5964/jspp.v5i1.206
  • Keyword(s)
    qualitative
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    emic
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    constructionist
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    grounded theory
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    organizational trust
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    social representations
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    school
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    Cameroon
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    Finland
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    India
    en_US
  • Dewey Decimal Classification number(s)
    150
  • Title
    Social representations of trust among teachers and principals in Cameroonian, Indian, and Finnish schools
    en_US
  • DRO type
    article
  • Issue
    1
  • Journal title
    Journal of Social and Political Psychology
  • Page numbers
    29–57
  • Volume
    5
  • Visible tag(s)
    Version of Record