Why is trust lower in Quebec? A cultural explanation

Area of Science:

• Sociology
• Cultural History
• Social Psychology

Background:

• Trust levels in Quebec are notably lower than in other Canadian provinces, presenting a long-standing social puzzle.
• The historical influence of the Catholic Church and the societal shifts during Quebec's Quiet Revolution are key factors to explore.

Purpose of the Study:

• To culturally explain the persistent trust disparity between Quebecers and other Canadians.
• To empirically assess the historical impact of the Catholic Church on trust levels, using the Quiet Revolution as a natural experiment.

Main Methods:

• Development of a novel approach to empirically assess historical cultural influences.
• Utilizing the Quiet Revolution as a natural experiment to study modernization's effect on trust.
• Analyzing trust levels across different birth cohorts, particularly comparing those socialized before and after the Quiet Revolution.

Main Results:

• Older cohorts in Quebec, especially Catholics, socialized before the Quiet Revolution show significantly lower trust.
• In contrast, older cohorts in the rest of Canada exhibit higher trust, aligning with international trends.
• Both religious beliefs and modernization measures significantly explain the birth cohort trust gap observed in Quebec.

Conclusions:

• Low trust in Quebec is historically rooted in its Catholic cultural heritage.
• The legacy of the Quiet Revolution is gradually reshaping Quebec's trust culture.
• Understanding historical cultural factors is crucial for explaining contemporary social trust dynamics.