"TRUST FUND" RUNNING ON EMPTY
Renowned anthropologist Michael Tan talks about our lack of trust and its ill effects on the Philippines
By C. Russell Y. Cruz, MD
Correspondent
Let me try to show [you] how a social scientist can take on the role of a detached clinician to try to diagnose what ails us today," said Dr. Michael Tan, professor of anthropology at the University of the Philippines and columnist for the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
To be sure "What ails us today" is the kind of topic that makes anybody feel qualified to make a diagnosis. But Tan, in delivering the Antonio Sison Memorial Lecture during the 34th annual convention of the Philippine College of Physicians in May last year, attempted to do exactly as he said--approach the topic as a clinician would a patient.
Though seeking to address the state of the country's politics and society through the perspective of culture, Tan was quick to point out that "because anthropologists specialize in culture, many…are reluctant to blame social problems in culture itself." However, he recognized that culture is one of the many factors at work, and modifications to this culture will definitely help. "Culture does count," he said. "And yes, [it] includes values and world views [that] can be quite powerful, shaping the ways we think and act."
A fund of trust
A major cultural feature that is pivotal to a society's development is interpersonal trust. He explained: "[It] has been found to be one of the most powerful variables to predict a range of phenomena, from economic development to the development of stable democracies, and even enhancement of something called subjective well-being, better known to many of us as happiness."
Francis Fukuyama, an American political scientist, calls trust "the lubricant to make a group or organization run efficiently." Added Tan: "Social scientists have analyzed trust in relation to something called social capital….We all know that economic capital is important but there is also social capital which is the accumulation of knowledge and the building of networks. Without this, we cannot progress socially. And to effectively build and mobilize social capitals, social scientists now propose that we need high levels of interpersonal trust."
The World Value Survey conducted by a group based in the University of Michigan determined levels of interpersonal trust in different countries. In this survey, it was shown that the Philippines ranks very low in terms of interpersonal trust, exceeded only by Brazil. Lamented Tan: "We are fiercely loyal, we trust our kin groups to some extent, but we have a narrow radius of trust. As we move up the levels of social integration, we tend to trust people less."
Also, levels of interpersonal trust are correlated with corruption permissiveness. "We are very low on trust and very high on corruption permissiveness," said Tan. "For instance, many of us say it's okay to cheat on our taxes. The reason there is so much cheating is because we don't trust the government. We feel the money will not be used properly, therefore corruption is permissible."
The low levels of interpersonal trust reflect a Filipino culture shaped by history, by other social structures, and the natural environment. The insular geography of the Philippines has often been cited as a source of disunity and paranoia among different groups. In addition, the long history of foreign occupation has kept most Filipinos wary of one another. "Divide and conquer" was a strategy often used by world powers to keep their colonies in check.
Tan added that even faith has managed to contribute to the low trust in our culture. "Catholic societies generally have lower levels of interpersonal trust," he said. "Hierarchical, centrally controlled institutions tend to undermine interpersonal trust."
A dwindling supply of interpersonal trust has effects on the nation's current social stagnation not too difficult to imagine. Doubtful members cause breakdowns in professional organizations; skeptical motorists disobey traffic rules, believing these will not be enforced equally anyway; mistrustful citizens condone, even promote, personality politics.
And these rapidly accelerating levels of mistrust that contribute to personality politics show no indication of letting up. "The institutions that should be building trust have abdicated their responsibilities," Tan said with a sigh. "The media [have] become 'tabloidized,' thriving in scandal and personalities rather than becoming a forum for serious discussion of issues. In the end, media actually [build] more mistrust and cynicism, which ironically create the market for basketball players and media personalities to enter politics."
The punishers
A growing tendency for untrusting societies is the passage of more laws with harsher punishment. "As in many low-trust countries, the solutions to social problems are seen mainly as the passage of new laws," said Tan. "In fact, we have something like three-billion-pesos worth of unimplementable laws."
Alarmingly, this same phenomenon may actually lead most of the citizens to believe that a leader ruling with an iron fist holds the answer to the problems plaguing the land. But Tan cautioned: "Trust levels will sink even further as we become more authoritarian because dictators find it advantageous to keep those levels of trust as low as possible…keep citizens pitted against each other."
And additional cycles of mistrust create additional cycles of social inequities and injustices. The World Values Survey also reflected this tendency, suggesting that decreasing levels of interpersonal trust could be correlated with lower support for democratic institutions.
Trust me
"There's much we can do in our own lives to build trust," Tan offered.
Tan emphasized that there are no quick fixes, especially in modifications involving culture. He explained: "I know many of you will feel uncomfortable and ask, 'Must we learn the hard way towards this state [of social development]?' But I'm afraid that as a social scientist I will have to tell you that it will take several more years before we can get out of our rut. Maybe with another generation we'll be able to reorient [our views]."
He emphasized the value of collective action in reestablishing trust in social institutions. Although trust building is a slow process filled with disappointments and frustrations, it is best to take a more active role in monitoring the progress of people in social institutions, such the government.
Also, he stressed the importance of focusing on the youth. Adults must make sure that they understand exactly what is going on around them, and must trust them well enough to make wise decisions.
"There are many other things through which we can build trust and reap its benefits," concluded Tan. "For doctors in particular, you build trust by staying on. Your way of saying we still have a fighting chance in the Philippines. Staying on no matter who is elected is an expression of trust not so much on who's elected than in our ability as a people to overcome adversity."
Perhaps, if word gets around, medical doctors will cease looking for whatever means to leave the country. Perhaps, if word gets around, medicine will stop becoming a pre-nursing degree.
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