Need is a state of need of the body, which manifests itself depending on the individual's objective conditions of existence and development.
Classification of needs
In psychological science, it is customary to single out needs of a lower and higher order. At the same time, the nature of human need is such that the emergence of the second category, as a rule, is impossible without the satisfaction of the first.
So, for example, B. F. Lomov considered two main groups of needs:
- basic,
- derivatives.
The first group is aimed at material conditions and vital means, as well as knowledge, communication, activity and recreation. Derived needs are divided into informational, moral, aesthetic, etc.
In myturn, V. G. Aseev, differentiating the needs of a higher order, singled out the following types:
- labor,
- creative,
- communicative (including the need for affiliation),
- aesthetic,
- moral,
- cognitive.
A. Maslow's theory of motivation
The most famous in psychological science is the hierarchy of needs of the American psychologist A. Maslow (the so-called Maslow's pyramid, 1954).
The author identifies five main stages - higher and lower needs:
- physiological (food, sleep, etc.),
- need for security,
- need for love and belonging,
- need for recognition and respect,
- need for self-expression.
Also, in some sources, this hierarchy is presented in more detail: between the 4th and 5th steps, cognitive and aesthetic needs are also distinguished.
Primary, lower human needs are manifested from birth. Higher ones are formed gradually, as the primary ones are satisfied, in the process of development of the individual's personality. Maslow believed that the structure and order of the formation of needs do not depend on the cultural conditions of development.
The role of lower needs in society
If cultural differences, according to Maslow, do not affect the order of formation of human needs, then about the specifics of the formation of the needs themselves, so to speakit is forbidden. It is not only about the higher needs, but also about the lower ones too. What social role do lower needs play?
An unsatisfied need stimulates the activity of the individual, forcing him to look for opportunities to satisfy it. So, if a person is hungry, he will take action to get food (physiological need). For example, he will go to the grocery store or go to a cafe, restaurant, etc. How will this affect social development? Choosing certain products, the individual thereby increases the demand for them in the public market. If we multiply this activity by the number of all individuals in society who are potential consumers of food, then we get a full-fledged level of demand.
Thus, when answering the question of what social role the lower needs play, we note first of all the socio-economic function. It can also be implemented within the framework of another basic human need, namely, security. For example, when paying for treatment or when applying for insurance.
On the other hand, guided by the need for security, a person can make a choice in favor of one or another candidate in political elections. For example, if a candidate promises certain benefits for certain categories of citizens or plans to allocate additional funds for the fight against crime, etc. In this case, considering the social role played by lower needs, we can talk about the socio-political function and etc.
"Cultural" transformationneeds
In turn, the British anthropologist B. Malinovsky formulates the idea that a developed society creates "cultural" responses to the biological needs of the individual.
What social role do lower needs play, according to this theory? Being the main drivers of human activity, they simultaneously become sources of social development.
Malinovsky singles out the so-called. instrumental cultural institutions (imperatives), which are certain (“cultural”) activities: education, law, development, love, etc. All of them one way or another become a source of realization of biological needs in society. A significant role in this case is given to social institutions such as family, education, social control, economy, belief system, etc.
An American anthropologist develops the idea that every need of an individual can go through a certain cultural transformation in society. Traditions are the source of this process.
Thus, culture, according to Malinovsky's theory, acts as a material and spiritual system that provides the individual with his existence and contributes to the satisfaction of his biological needs. On the other hand, culture itself is a consequence of the impact of these needs on the development of the individual. Accordingly, speaking of the connection between biological needs and culture, we note the two-way nature of this process.
