Trust in Motion: Neighborhood social context and trust in real-time

• In Event: 41054 - Urban Sociology and the Legacy of Chicago

Abstract

Variations in perceptions of neighborhood characteristics can have enduring impacts on neighborhood context, experience, and neighborhood change. While neighborhood trust is central to urban sociology, existing research largely treats it as a static characteristic rather than examining how it varies across space and time. Using innovative ecological momentary assessment (EMA) data from 250 older adults in 78 tracts in Chicago combined with conventional survey measures, I investigate how structural conditions, social connectedness, and immediate social cues relate to real-time trust. Results reveal that immediate social experiences—such as witnessing prosocial behavior and encountering familiar others—are more associated with trust than structural neighborhood characteristics. A novel typology of Chicago neighborhoods demonstrates systematic divergences between real-time and retrospective trust ratings, with population density and residential stability emerging as key differentiating factors. These findings demonstrate the dynamic nature of neighborhood trust and highlight the importance of examining how residents experience their communities in real time.

Author

• Nathalia Santos, Cornell University