Narratives of institutional trust: Turkish migrants’ comparative perspectives in Germany and Türkiye

Abstract

This study identifies how Turkish migrants develop differing levels of institutional trust toward Germany and Türkiye, based on their personal experiences with institutions in both countries. By asking participants to reflect on the reasons behind these differences, the study uncovers three recurring narrative themes through which migrants articulate institutional trust: (1) the perception of redistributive justice and institutional predictability, (2) the existence of well-designed laws and regulations supported by effective enforcement mechanisms, and (3) the perception of fair and equal treatment by institutions. The findings indicate that participants consistently report higher levels of institutional trust in Germany. By centering the experiences of migrants who have been exposed to two distinct governance systems and providing empirical findings, the study makes a novel contribution to the literature on institutional trust. Unlike most existing studies that examine institutional trust within single-country contexts, this research offers a rare empirical contribution by focusing on the lived experiences of migrants who have interacted with two distinct institutional settings. Through a comparative lens grounded in migrant perspectives, the study not only captures how institutional trust varies across national contexts but also illustrates how the migration experience itself fosters a critical reassessment of what individuals expect from institutions.