Critiquing Trust in Peacebuilding; Conceptual Misalignments and Challenges in Cyprus
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2024-08-19
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en
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“Trust” is frequently used in peacebuilding. Generally, it is assumed as being constructive and applied uncritically. This thesis critiques this uncritical application of “trust” in the field and examines potential miscommunication due underlying conceptual misalignments related to “trust”. The study focused on the Cyprus Problem and compared associations with trust between different identity groups.
A mixed methods approach, including a questionnaire, a focus group, and two interviews was employed, that also explored cooperation-related issues in Cyprus. No meaningful differences were found between identity groups. Nonetheless, the findings suggest that “trust” is highly dependent on individual interpretation.
The research has several limitations, like the absence of a Greek Cypriot participant in the qualitative stages of the study and a limited sample size, which both point towards insights being indicative, rather than conclusive. Additionally, qualitative sections might portray biased perspectives on the Cyprus Problem. Future studies should address these limitations to provide a more comprehensive perspective. Based on the insight that “trust” is highly individual, more precise terminology should be used instead of “trust” to avoid miscommunication and severe consequences. Such an approach would also enable for quantitative analysis of the applied concept, and thereby increase the efficacy of peacebuilding projects.
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen