Working group at the Social Policy Conference in Helsinki on October 23–24, 2025

The STRONG researchers Laura Kihlström, Kaisa Kurkela, Patrik Nordin, Henna Paananen and Aino Rantamäki will organize a working group titled Paradoxes of Trust in the  Health and Social Care Sector at the Social Policy Conference held in Helsinki on October 23–24, 2025.

This group will examine how such paradoxes of trust manifest, are reproduced, and are challenged—particularly in the context of social and healthcare services. We welcome methodological, theoretical, and analytical contributions that engage with trust, especially in relation to questions such as: Who constitutes the “we” when we speak of trust? Has trust become a “magic concept,” and what are the implications of this (Bentzen et al., 2024)? How might citizens’ distrust in power and administration give rise to new forms of participation and civic activism? What methods and practices can foster trust in social and healthcare services, and what are their limitations? How is the so-called “crisis of trust” linked to the broader crisis of democracy, and how does this connection manifest in the realm of social and healthcare?

Find the full description here: Working groups | Social Policy Conference 2025 | University of Helsinki

The call for abstract closes on September 1st. Send in your abstract in English, Swedish or Finnish!