Who Do We Trust?

‘Inspirational, nuanced and wise - Dana Williams’ engaging sociology of trust is a rich and timely wake up call to re-imagine social structures through cooperative action and mutual aid, beyond the multiplicity of forces that seek to divide us’

‘Through trust, Williams offers a compelling framework with which to analyze the possibilities and obstacles for transforming our lives for the better. After digging deep into the sociopolitical definitions and theories of trust, Williams thoroughly examines all the permutations of trust and distrust in the organization of state, capital, and society. In the end, he offers inspiration for practical ways to build the needed trust to overcome those obstacles we are accustomed to and seize the possibilities that we are trained to think are utopian’

‘In this timely examination of trust, mistrust, and distrust, Williams offers a critical analysis of the forms of trust practiced by groups across the political spectrum, along with a radical exposition on how we might become individually and collectively more discerning. A powerful engagement with a core building block of any healthy society: the thoughtful practice of trust’

Dana M. Williams is Professor of Sociology at California State University, Chico, and the author of Black Flags and Social Movements and co-author of Anarchy and Society. A political sociologist, Williams focuses on social movements, inequalities, and trust.