Pervasive distrust and affective citizenship among African families with care order history in Norway

Though Norwegians generally report high levels of institutional trust, among Sub-Saharan African immigrant parents with care order histories, Norwegian Child Protection Services (CPS) remains a site of profound distrust. This study explores how CPS-related distrust extends beyond child protection encounters, shaping broader patterns of institutional disengagement and precarious citizenship. Drawing on qualitative interviews with 15 parents with care order histories, we examine how affective ruptures following CPS encounters trigger self-protective strategies, including strategic distrust, selective institutional engagement, and withdrawal from welfare services. These responses ultimately deplete social capital and reinforce social exclusion across generations. Using the framework of affective citizenship in combination with social capital theory, we argue that CPS distrust is not confined to individuals but circulates within Black families and communities, shaping intracommunal and intergenerational perceptions of the welfare state. Institutional alienation contributes to a sense of second-class citizenship, where Black parents perceive state interventions as acting against their interests. We conclude by discussing the policy implications of these findings, emphasizing the need for trust-building measures that move beyond risk management towards culturally responsive welfare practices that foster inclusion rather than confound exclusion.