Mistrust: An Ethnographic Theory"Trust occupies a unique place in contemporary discourse. Seen as both necessary and virtuous, it is variously depicted as enhancing the social fabric, lowering crime rates, increasing happiness, and generating prosperity. It allows for complex political systems, permits human communication, underpins financial instruments and economic institutions, and generally holds society together. Against these overwhelmingly laudable qualities, mistrust often goes unnoticed as a positive social phenomenon, treated as little more than a corrosive absence, a mere negative of trust itself. With this book, Matthew Carey proposes an ethnographic and conceptual exploration of mistrust that raises it up as legitimate stance in its own right.While mistrust can quickly ruin relationships and even dissolve extensive social ties, Carey shows that it might have other values. Drawing on fieldwork in Morocco's High Atlas Mountains as well as comparative material from regions stretching from Eastern Europe to Melanesia, he examines the impact of mistrust on practices of conversation and communication, friendship and society, and politics and cooperation. In doing so, he demonstrates that trust is not the only basis for organizing human society and cooperating with others. The result is a provocative but enlightening work that makes us rethink social issues such as suspicion, doubt, and uncertainty."--Back cover. |
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Abd al-Hamid action aesthetic Amazigh amkhar anarchic anthropology Arabic argued autonomy behavior Berber betrayal biga sopa bureaucracy Cambridge Carey chapter Chicago claim classic Clastres coercive communication conceptual conspiracy theories conspiratorial context conversation council course cultural described discussion economic edited ephemerality ethnographic Ethnographic Theory existence explore fact flouted friends friendship Georg Simmel Geschiere gossip Grice Gricean maxim human idea ideology Idir Ijma infrastructure intentions interactive interlocutors intimacy intimate Kabyle Kabylia Kiev kinship Kulikovo Field language literature ljmā Marrakech maxim of quality mistrust moral Moroccan High Atlas Morocco mountain networks Odessa Paris particular people's perhaps person plains potential practice predictable pro-Russian psychological question Rabi'a Rachik radical relations relationship Scottish Enlightenment seen sense share Simmel simply situation social capital societies sociological speaker suggest supposed sympathy Tashelhiyt thief things Tiflilist tion trade union building Trobriand Islands trust and tolerance truth Ukraine University Press village whilst witchcraft words