Author: Florian Mühlfried, Jan Beek.

In contrast to the notion of trust, which has become popular as a social phenomenon in the social sciences of late, the notion of mistrust is mostly overlooked. If at all, mistrust is investigated as the flip side of trust, as an annoying absence and a societal failure. The most pressing question always seems to be how to restore trust in the state, as well as how to foster trust in civil agents and free markets. The contributors intend to take a step back and explore what people actually do when they mistrust. Particular attention is paid to how mistrust relates to detachment, suspicion, and doubt as well as to social complexity.