Social Contracts
Compiled by Linda Quinn based on the work of Carol Coe and others
Definition
A Social Contract is an agreement made voluntarily by members of a group
of people to establish guidelines for their behavior. It is a “Code of
Cooperation” defining how they will treat one another.
Social Contract theory, nearly as old as philosophy itself, is the view that persons’ moral and/or political
obligations are dependent upon a contract or agreement among them to form the society in which they live.
Historically, it grows out of the idea that political authority must be derived from the consent of the governed.
There is, according to the theory, no such thing as absolute justice. Rather, individuals' actions are bound
only by personal power and conscience. Through the process of developing a Social Contract, such
individuals pledge to give up natural freedoms to obtain political order, reciprocal benefits, and a reasonable
guarantee that one man will not harm or be harmed by another.
Rationale
Research shows that “people tend to support what they help to create.” Thus, the more involvement people
have in creating guidelines for working together, the more apt they are to follow those guidelines. All groups,
even the more successful ones, experience conflict. When disagreements arise, there is a greater likelihood
they will be solved productively if the group has previously planned and agreed upon a process for working
through conflict. This is another reason for developing a Social Contract. In short, a contract moves s a group
toward effective self-management.
Structure
The structure of the contract can vary from a one-sentence general agreement to an enumerated, point-bypoint description of expected behaviors. The structure is not as important as the process used to arrive at the
agreement.
Process
Establishing a Social Contract requires dialogue. There is no single right way to initiate the dialogue. What
follows is one sample process a facilitator might use:
1. Have several (3-5 is best) questions posted at the front of the room. Ask students to think about the
questions and then write their answers down on a piece of paper. Sample questions include:
• What kind of an environment do you need to do your best work?
• What are the qualities of a good team?
• How will we approach our work in this group in order to make it a great team?
• How will we communicate?
• How will we make and honor decisions?
• What will we do when we disagree?
2. Ask group members to think about the questions individually and jot down responses on a piece of paper.
3. Once people have written down some individual responses, ask them to get together with 1-3 others, share
their ideas, combine their lists, and add to them as their dialogue stimulates further thinking.
4. When the groups are finished (usually after about 15 minutes), have them share out with the whole group
while someone records ideas on poster paper or a computer screen. There are many ways to share out.
One is to ask a member of the first group to give one idea, then a member of the second group to give one
idea, and so on, until all ideas have been shared and posted. Ask groups not to repeat something that that
has already been said. Tell them not to worry about which responses go with which questions.
5. Once the list of all ideas is complete, allow participants to discuss the merits of each so that they are
clearly understood. Based on group consensus, determine if anything should be added or deleted.
6. When everyone has tentatively agreed to the ideas left on the list, ask an individual or small group to
theme, synthesize, and organize them, and to make the contract “pretty.”
7. Bring the “cleaned up” copy of the contract back to the whole group for further discussion, clarify action,
additions, deletions, and/or other changes.
8. When a “final copy” is agreed upon, ask everyone to sign the Social Contract and post it in a prominent
location.