The Erosion of Social Trust

Possibly the most defining characteristic of critical theory, and the schools of thought that arise from it, is the concept that all interactions are based on the power dynamics of the involved parties.

In other words - the oppressors vs the oppressed (victims).

According to critical theory, all human interaction has, at its core, someone who is trying to assert power over another.

This belief has led to the development and widespread use of “deconstruction” efforts to analyze all interactions and find the occurrences of oppression.

Remember, critical race theory teaches that in examining any interaction between people of differing ethnicities, the question isn’t “Did racism take place” but rather “How did racism manifest itself in this situation.” (DiAngelo, White Fragility)

Having this mental framework as the core foundation upon which all interactions are analyzed will naturally lead to resentment between parties and the erosion of trust in each other and in institutions.

I have spoken at length about a lot of the issues that arise when we no longer trust our fellow man but instead constantly look to blame others to vicitimize ourselves. However, I wanted to take some time to focus on the other aspect, namely the erosion of trust in institutions.

According to survey data from the UN, trust in institutions varies significantly across countries, with higher-income countries (HIC) generally enjoying higher levels of trust than lower-income countries (LIC).

Additionally, in countries with authoritarian governments, trust in the national government tends to be higher than in established democracies, although this data is likely skewed due to the difficulty in obtaining accurate information from authoritarian nations.

Interestingly, while HIC do generally enjoy higher levels of institutional trust compared to that of LIC, long-term data shows a decline in institutional trust in HIC, including the United States and Western Europe, over time.

There appear to be two sides to this. One, in the West, especially in the United States, our culture is morphing into “critical” society. One in which skepticism in all things has grown. This is due, I believe, to our adoption of a new mental framework that is heavily infused with critical theory and postmodernism. All peoples generally view the world based on the prevailing philosophies of their time and geography

Secondly, with the advent of the internet and social media, we simply know more about these institutions. The curtain has been pulled back, and we see that the Wizard of Oz is not what we thought he was. Mass communication and data have given us more to “critique” and deconstruct.

Data from the Pew Research Center showed some fascinating connections between how institutional trust translates into our inter-presonal relationships.

Their results showed that individuals who trust others more tend to also have more positive views on their fellow citizens' behaviors, while those with lower trust levels express less confidence in various aspects of civic and political behaviors.

Essentially, how we view others is closely tied to the level of trust that we have in the world around us or vice versa..

As with most things in life, regardless of all the information we have at our “thumb” tips, our attitude has a lot to do with how we experience life. There is agency involved.

Lastly, I want to draw attention to the connection between critical theory, lack of institutional trust, and the Church.

Over the last few years we’ve begun to see this distrust of institutions begin to infiltrate the Church.

A growing number of individuals are viewing the Church as oppressive, restrictive, and even draconian, especially with it having a largely old, white, male leadership. We are hearing more calls from people declaring the need for the Church to undergo “deconstruction” in order to root out and tear down its “instruments of oppression.”

When it comes to a lack of trust in the Church, what we are really talking about is a lack of faith. Remember, the Religion of Academia and critical theory are incompatible with faith.

A lack of faith in the Brethren and a lack of faith that God is leading and guiding this work through the prophets and apostles that He has appointed, is today in large part due to this “Critical” shift in our culture and our new cyber information.

President Ballard warned us several years ago about trusting that God leads and guides the Church and quoted President Brigham Young saying:

“We are on the old ship Zion. … [God] is at the helm and will stay there. … He dictates, guides and directs. If the people have implicit confidence in their God, never forsake their covenants nor their God, He will guide us right.”

Let's stay on the old ship Zion.

Best,

Greg Matsen