A social contract has been defined as an agreement between the members of an organized society such that the rulers define the responsibilities and rights of the community while the others voluntarily exchange these freedoms and liberties for protection and other benefits (Cruess & Cruess, 2020). A creation of a social contract is done to help the members of the community live together in harmony or the rulers, particularly governments, maintain order, and offer health and other benefits, as long as the others abide by the rules and do not forfeit their duties. As such, for governments, the phrase social contract implies an agreement where each side benefits the other. Although the terms of these contracts can vary from one community to the other, notions of the agreements have historically focused on areas such as employment opportunities, security, and social welfare to help address the needs of the people. A long list of experts and scholars including John Locke, Immanuel Kant, Thomas Hobbes, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Beatrice Webb have studied and advanced the concept of social contracts. Vaccination is an example of a social contract that has existed for centuries in America and the world. Korn et al. (2020) conducted a study and determined that, since vaccines are normally advocated for and administered by governments to promote social welfare, there must be a social agreement between the administration and the people before the people use them.
Within the social consensus context, cultures in the United States should set aside some beliefs or traditions in favor of a united social contract. To establish an administration or authority that can take care of the rights of all community members regardless of their cultural backgrounds, an integration of a social contract that unites all individuals will be needed. Given that there are differences in beliefs or customs, some communities must abandon their cultures if the dream of a united social contract is to be realized. This is because a national union cannot accommodate all the different cultural practices in a country that embodies several ethnicities made up of varieties of languages and cultures. In other words, the creation of a more effective social contract requires an integration of a few selected customs and beliefs instead of focusing on universal cultural practices and activities. After the 2008 financial crisis, the global community agreed that to ensure human security, an adoption of the International Labor Organization (ILO) Social Protection Floors Recommendation of 2012 will be necessary as a united social contract of the world (Razavi et al. 2020). This meant that several countries agreed to implement the recommendations without changing them. Similarly, for a united social contract in the United States, societies must agree to the set guidelines even though they could be against their beliefs.
The impact of integrating a united social contract on healthcare delivery in America will be significant. For instance, a social agreement that promotes equity and inclusivity will lead to more equitable and accessible healthcare services for people regardless of their ethnicities or cultural backgrounds. Evidence shows that in the United States, substandard services and bias define healthcare provision among minority communities (Senthil et al., 2015). A united social contract that ensures everyone is treated equally is thus something that can change such history of service delivery in the healthcare sector in America. As a result, the disparities in healthcare that have led to higher mortality and morbidity rates for marginalized communities will be reduced. The move will also foster a sense of collective responsibility in the country which can lead to better healthcare policies, improved resource distribution and allocation, and enhanced health outcomes for different populations. When healthcare delivery follows the guidelines and rules accepted throughout the country, most people will be motivated to seek them and appreciate the medical professionals. Healthcare professionals will also enhance their outreach and ensure all members of society obtain these services, including the ones in remote places.
References
Cruess, R. L., & Cruess, S. R. (2020). Professionalism, communities of practice, and medicine’s social contract. The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, 33(Supplement), S50-S56.
Korn, L., Böhm, R., Meier, N. W., & Betsch, C. (2020). Vaccination as a social contract. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(26), 14890-14899.
Razavi, S., Behrendt, C., Bierbaum, M., Orton, I., & Tessier, L. (2020). Reinvigorating the social contract and strengthening social cohesion: Social protection responses to COVID‐19. International Social Security Review, 73(3), 55-80.
Senthil, K., Russell, E., & Lantos, H. (2015). Preserving the Social Contract of HealthCare Call to Action. American journal of public health, 105(12), 2404.
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