Trust the ‘Trustworthy’: The Role of China’s Clan System in Trust Formation

Xiangpo Chen ()
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Xiangpo Chen: School of Economics, Hangzhou Dianzi University

Applied Research in Quality of Life, 2025, vol. 20, issue 2, No 8, 619-641

Abstract: Abstract Trust is integral to the successful execution of social interactions and market transactions. This study investigates the role of the clan system in shaping trust formation. In the context of China, the results show that the clan system significantly attenuates generalized trust. One additional genealogy per million people leads to a 4.03% decrease in individuals’ generalized trust. The clan system serves as a united force in individuals’ particularized trust toward clan members and serves as a splitting force in their particularized trust toward outsiders. These findings address the strong vitality of the clan system and its significant impact on modern Chinese society.

Keywords: Trust; Generalized trust; Particularized trust; Clan system; I31; N35; O10 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1007/s11482-025-10429-x

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