On Inherent Care
institutions cannot provide care; they are only capable of restricting our natural propensity to care for one another
We often think of healthcare as something that happens in hospitals or through services we pay for. But what if healthcare is something we naturally do for each other every day? Inherent Care Theory (ICT) explores this idea—challenging the belief that care can only come from institutions and showing that genuine care is something we're all capable of, simply through our relationships and instincts.
The Natural Human Capacity for Care
At its heart, ICT argues that humans are wired to care for one another. Think about how you instinctively comfort a friend in need or check in on family members when they’re unwell. This isn’t something you’ve been trained to do; it’s a natural response. ICT reminds us that caregiving is part of being human, and we often do it better in personal settings than any institution can.
A lot of the real care in our society comes from informal caregivers—people like family members, neighbors, and community volunteers. These are the people who step up every day, not because they’re getting paid, but because they genuinely care. They operate outside of the formal healthcare system, but their work is invaluable.
The Limits of Institutional Care
While institutions like hospitals and social services are essential, ICT argues that they often stand in the way of true, human-centered care. Bureaucratic rules, efficiency goals, and profit-driven motives can strip care of its personal touch. We’ve all experienced situations where care felt rushed or impersonal—where the system felt more like a machine than a place where people were cared for as individuals.
This is where ICT serves as a powerful form of normative inversion. In a healthcare landscape dominated by institutions, we're often led to believe that care is something only professionals and formal systems can provide. ICT flips that script, asserting that real, meaningful care emerges naturally from our human instincts and community bonds, not from bureaucratic structures. By shifting the focus from institutional to inherent care, we start to challenge the very norms that dictate who is “qualified” to provide care and what “counts” as legitimate caregiving.
Returning to Community-Based Care
ICT suggests a shift back to community-based care. Throughout history, when institutions failed, communities stepped up. Think about mutual aid societies created by marginalized communities who were denied access to mainstream services. Or the Black Panther Party’s free health clinics in underserved neighborhoods. These examples remind us that care works best when it comes from relationships and mutual support rather than top-down systems.
By positioning care as something that comes naturally to us—rather than something that needs to be orchestrated by institutions—ICT invites us to rethink the way we organize healthcare. In essence, it challenges the normative assumption that institutions are the ultimate providers of care and instead shows that they often hinder our inherent ability to care for one another.
Mutual Aid Societies: These were established by African American and immigrant communities as a way to provide essential services when mainstream systems excluded them.
Black Panther Clinics: These clinics provided free healthcare in areas that were underserved, showing the power of community-based initiatives in filling gaps left by institutional care.
What Inherent Care Means for the Future of Healthcare
ICT doesn’t suggest we do away with institutions entirely, but it does challenge us to rethink their role. Instead of being the sole providers of care, institutions could support and empower communities to care for each other. Imagine a healthcare system where local health cooperatives, neighborhood care networks, and mutual aid societies are supported alongside hospitals and clinics.
By embracing this inversion of the norm, we unlock new possibilities. We shift from seeing healthcare as a commodity provided by an elite few, to recognizing it as a collective responsibility rooted in our shared humanity. This perspective not only expands the scope of who can give and receive care but also emphasizes the importance of community in shaping healthier societies.
Here’s how we might move toward a future that embraces Inherent Care:
Support Community Health Initiatives: We can prioritize and fund grassroots health efforts, creating spaces where people come together to care for each other outside of traditional institutions.
Redesign Institutions: Instead of rigid, hierarchical structures, institutions could be redesigned to facilitate care—acting as support systems for communities rather than taking over the caregiving process.
Recognize and Value Informal Care: So much of the care in our society happens outside of formal systems. We need to recognize, value, and support the contributions of informal caregivers—family members, friends, and neighbors.
Address Systemic Barriers to Care: If we believe that care is natural, then the lack of care in our society points to systemic issues like poverty, inequality, and lack of access. Addressing these barriers will allow our natural caregiving instincts to thrive.
The Power of Reclaiming Care
By embracing Inherent Care, we’re not just improving healthcare—we’re building stronger, more compassionate communities. This isn’t just about treatment; it’s about creating systems that nurture our natural ability to care for one another. Inherent Care asks us to look beyond bureaucratic processes and rediscover the empathy and humanity that are at the heart of caregiving.
Through this normative inversion, we are reminded that care doesn’t need to be institutionalized to be effective. We don’t need to rely solely on professionals to validate the care we already provide for one another. ICT reclaims this power for individuals and communities, reminding us that care, at its core, is a natural and vital part of who we are.
We can design systems that support these natural caregiving instincts, recognizing that while institutions have a role, they should not replace the deep care that comes from our relationships. When we empower communities and individuals to care, we create a society that values compassion, equity, and true well-being.
