By: Cyril Rikh I SGA’s Student Activities Board Member
Social contract theory says societies should have a set of rules to live by to serve the greater good or happiness. For example, the social contract might contain no stealing, as people want their belongings to be safe. Additionally, the social contract might stipulate that we must pay taxes to the government, which can then employ police to enforce that rule and other rules meant to protect people. Some examples of social contracts are the Bill of Rights or the U.S. Constitution. At Bergen, the contract includes the bureaucratic procedures to form clubs, initiate projects, or try to change the school in general.
Social contracts are meant to facilitate harmony between people living–or learning, in our case– together. In our society, there are inequities that prevent equality amongst race, class, and gender. In addition to that, there is a common lack of trust towards one another to be rational and kind. For example, the thinker Hobbes came up with his social contract after the English Civil War, which made him believe that it was a chaotic world, so people must trade their liberty by giving power to the government to grant them safety.
Different students face different problems, but not everyone has a good professor to advocate for them. Maybe they struggle with their English skills, or maybe they are busy with a family at home. While there are opportunities, there is still inequality in how much time or financial resources each student can put into school to excel.
The United Declaration of Human Rights was established in 1948 and sets common standards of living and well-being that every society should strive for. The articles addressing the importance of human rights serve to reach the UN’s fundamental goal: unity. The UN wants everyone in the ‘human family’ to treat each other with the respect and dignity everyone granted life deserves. Why? It’s simply not fair for someone who didn’t choose to be born to have an unhappy life for factors out of their control. In the same way, those who are at Bergen have varying and possibly challenging situations, so they need someone who can bring together a diverse group of people to discuss the issues they face. They deserve a shot at academic success.
Any student in the Student Government Association can provide perspective on many issues students of their background may be facing. Individually, each student has a different perspective, too. In student government, it’s important that we get everyone’s perspective (such as yours!) to make Bergen a place where everyone can thrive.
Additionally, we in student government and politics generally don’t want to be in a US bubble; we want international perspectives. Sharing cultures and ideas can make human society feel connected and do things smarter. Diversity’s root word comes from disagreement, so people can disagree and then work together to find gaps in their knowledge and learn from insights in other knowledge sets. America has a mix of people, and we should be able to understand as many as possible upon getting out into the world. Politics also doesn’t exist in a vacuum, as what we do on the micro level impacts the macro level. We want to be able to understand how those parts of the world may think to represent ourselves well and unite as humans who can discuss ideas in smart ways.
Religious people might have a particular interest in SGA as well. Why? Religion provides people with a way of being and a way of life. Many religions come with morality and the concept of doing the right thing. Religious systems such as Shinto– which assumes people are good– may lead to more relaxed social contracts. Hinduism suggests that everyone must conduct themselves in a way that benefits all life on earth. This could lead them to support contracts, especially ones like the UN’s that incorporate visitors to a region. Hinduism emphasizes that we are all a “human family.”
Diversity is valuable, inside the college and out. Maybe you won’t go into politics. But even if you go into business, you want to be multinational and have a group that’s enthusiastic about society’s well-being. It’s the same with music. You want to bring people of all backgrounds together, and spark connections. You can develop those skills in student government, so it might be worth your time.