TY - JOUR
T1 - The Role of Institutional Trust in Industry, Government, and Regulators in Shaping Perceptions of Risk Associated with Hydraulic Fracturing in the United Kingdom
AU - Stretesky, Paul
AU - Short, Damien
AU - Stamford, Laurence
N1 - Funding information: The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This research was funded by the UK’s Economic and Social Research Council, the National Environmental Research Council under project number R018146.
PY - 2023/6/1
Y1 - 2023/6/1
N2 - This study draws upon concepts of institutional trust and expendability to examine perceptions of risk associated with hydraulic fracturing or “fracking.” To study trust and risk, we collected data from a nationally representative sample of U.K. residents and analyzed it using multivariate regression. Perceptions of trust are measured for the oil and gas industry, central government, local government, and regulators while perceived risks are measured for seismicity, water quality, and hydraulic fracturing in general. Participants with high levels of trust in the oil and gas industry tend to perceive lower levels of risk associated with hydraulic fracturing. Levels of government and regulator trust are, however, largely unrelated to perceived risks. Importantly, trust in the oil and gas industry appears to mediate the relationship between political affiliation and perceptions of risk. Implications for theories of recreancy and environmental justice are explored.
AB - This study draws upon concepts of institutional trust and expendability to examine perceptions of risk associated with hydraulic fracturing or “fracking.” To study trust and risk, we collected data from a nationally representative sample of U.K. residents and analyzed it using multivariate regression. Perceptions of trust are measured for the oil and gas industry, central government, local government, and regulators while perceived risks are measured for seismicity, water quality, and hydraulic fracturing in general. Participants with high levels of trust in the oil and gas industry tend to perceive lower levels of risk associated with hydraulic fracturing. Levels of government and regulator trust are, however, largely unrelated to perceived risks. Importantly, trust in the oil and gas industry appears to mediate the relationship between political affiliation and perceptions of risk. Implications for theories of recreancy and environmental justice are explored.
KW - and technology
KW - environment and technology
KW - environmental justice
KW - human rights
KW - knowledge
KW - science
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85141014417
U2 - 10.1177/07311214221125803
DO - 10.1177/07311214221125803
M3 - Article
SN - 0731-1214
VL - 66
SP - 496
EP - 522
JO - Sociological Perspectives
JF - Sociological Perspectives
IS - 3
M1 - 073112142211258
ER -
