Publication details
Beyond Experience : Interpreting Corruption Perception Through Qualitative and Representational Lenses
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2026 |
| Type | Peer-reviewed scientific article |
| Magazine / Source | SOCIOLÓGIA - SLOVAK SOCIOLOGICAL REVIEW |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| web | article - open access |
| Doi | https://doi.org/10.31577/sociologia.2026.58.2.7 |
| Keywords | Bribery; Corruption; Corruption Perception; Social Representation Theory; Perception Formation |
| Attached files | |
| Description | Beyond Experience: Interpreting Corruption Perception Through Qualitative and Representational Lenses. This qualitative case study examines how individuals without any subjectively perceived personal experience of corruption in the Czech Republic perceive corruption, based on 20 semi-structured in-depth interviews. The research offers insight into how people form their views on corruption and identifies key sources shaping these perceptions. The study reaffirms the media's dominant role as an information source on corruption and underscores the importance of extrapolation in individual assessments. Grounded in Social Representation Theory, the study views perceptions of corruption not as isolated opinions but as part of shared symbolic and cultural meaning structures. The concept of 'corruption' is anchored in familiar categories—such as mistrust, political misconduct, and systemic unfairness—and reinforced through recurring media narratives and political scandals. These socially embedded processes shape how individuals make sense of corruption, even in the absence of personal experience, and highlight the importance of social representations when personal experience is absent. |
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