Behind a fluttering veil of trust: The dynamics of public concerns over farm animal welfare in Norway

Farm animal welfare has climbed on the public agenda over the last decades. However, while expectations of public engagement in animal welfare are high, the scholarly literature does not point out any clear dynamic behind public involvement. This article argues that people's trust in institutio...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sociologia ruralis 2022-10, Vol.62 (4), p.763-781
Main Authors: Kjærnes, Unni, Borgen, Svein Ole, Thorjussen, Christian Bernhard Holth
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
animal
Animal care
Animal husbandry
Animal welfare
Animals
Citizen participation
concern
farm
Farms
Flutter
Institutions
Livestock
public
Public concern
Public interest
Public involvement
Public opinion
Public opinion surveys
Public participation
Social dynamics
Social environment
Social systems
Trust
Truth
Welfare
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Summary:Farm animal welfare has climbed on the public agenda over the last decades. However, while expectations of public engagement in animal welfare are high, the scholarly literature does not point out any clear dynamic behind public involvement. This article argues that people's trust in institutional actors is a key explanatory factor. Most people's connection to farm animals and farms is indirect and rather . To paraphrase, people observe animal welfare through ‘a veil of trust’ in institutions. With dependence on the actions and information from institutional actors, the social dynamics of public concern are closely related to trust in these actors. Trust varies, depending on the social context. Based on a unique integration of Norwegian public opinion surveys conducted from 1997 to 2020, the article analyses how people's concerns and worries over animal welfare are linked to trust in the truth‐telling of institutional actors. The generally high trust in institutions in Norway may therefore explain the continued low levels of public concern for animal welfare. But our analysis also shows that the ‘veil of trust’ in institutions flutters over time and between different categories of actors.
ISSN:0038-0199
1467-9523
DOI:10.1111/soru.12405