In ‘Shattered Assumptions: Unravelling of the Social Contract Between the Medical Profession and Society in India,’ a newly co-authored piece published in SSM–Health Systems, Professor Michael Calnan explores a troubling and timely issue—the rising violence against doctors and what it reveals about the changing relationship between medicine and society in India.
Drawing on interviews with doctors, patients, journalists, lawyers, and police, the study uses the ‘assumptive worlds’ framework to examine how doctors are coping with increasing hostility, eroding trust, and diminishing professional autonomy. The research reveals that many doctors feel a deep sense of disillusionment and perceive themselves as victims of a system in flux—caught between an assertive public, a disengaged state, and a corporatized healthcare system.
This article calls for critical self-reflection within the medical profession and a renewed, collaborative effort to repair the social contract that once underpinned trust and mutual respect between doctors and society.
The article is open access, read it here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmhs.2025.100070