Community Under Stress: Trust, Reciprocity, and Community Collective Efficacy During SARS Outbreak

The study of epidemics is almost non-existent in sociological literature, even though such outbreaks can have detrimental
effects on communities. The occurrence of SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) in 2003 provides a rare opportunity to
understand the social functioning of a community during the outbreak of an epidemic. To evaluate the extensive social impact
of such an outbreak, we focus on the effects of perceived collective efficacy. Specifically, we focus on how the collective
efficacy of a community, measured by trust and reciprocal relations, is related to collective action in places where SARS
occurred and those where SARS did not occur. The study is based on a unique data set, the 2003 Taiwan Social Image Survey,
collected during the outbreak of SARS in Taiwan. Our findings show that community collective efficacy, measured by trust and
reciprocity, is not associated with community collective action when an outbreak of an epidemic occurs.