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No man is an island: trust, trustworthiness, and social networks among refugees in Germany

Author

Listed:
  • Nora El-Bialy

    (University of Hamburg)

  • Elisa Fraile Aranda

    (University of Hamburg)

  • Andreas Nicklisch

    (University of Applied Sciences of the Grisons)

  • Lamis Saleh

    (Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies)

  • Stefan Voigt

    (University of Hamburg
    CESifo)

Abstract

We analyze possible links between both trust and trustworthiness among Syrian refugees in Germany in relation to two different forms of social networking: bonding networks, which include only other Syrians, and bridging networks, which include people from the host country. Our results show that Syrians who engage in bonding networks show higher levels of trust and (un)conditional trustworthiness when interacting with a Syrian compared to a German participant. In turn, for refugees engaged in bridging networks, the positive discrimination refugees display towards their own peers decreases regarding trust and conditional trustworthiness and vanishes regarding unconditional trustworthiness. Newly arrived Syrian refugees tend to engage in bonding networks, whereas the length of stay and having a private home coincide with more bridging networks.

Suggested Citation

  • Nora El-Bialy & Elisa Fraile Aranda & Andreas Nicklisch & Lamis Saleh & Stefan Voigt, 2023. "No man is an island: trust, trustworthiness, and social networks among refugees in Germany," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 36(4), pages 2429-2455, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jopoec:v:36:y:2023:i:4:d:10.1007_s00148-023-00969-7
    DOI: 10.1007/s00148-023-00969-7
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    1. Stefanie S Baumgartner & Fabio Galeotti & Thierry Madiès & Marie Claire Villeval, 2025. "Trust as a social norm? A lab-in-the-field experiment with refugees in Switzerland," Working Papers hal-05001907, HAL.

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    JEL classification:

    • C93 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Field Experiments
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification

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