Abraham Maslow came up with a theory about psychology. In 1943, Maslow wrote a paper called A Theory in Human Motivation. His theory states that human beings are motivated by curiousity. Maslow studied exemplary people such as Albert Einstein and Eleanor Roosevelt and determined that "the study of crippled, stunted, immature, and unhealthy specimens can yield only a cripple psychology and a cripple philosophy". Maslow also studied the healthiest 1% of the student population.
Maslow's Hierarchy is seen as the shape of a pyramid, with the largest and most fundamental level needs at the bottom, with the need of self-actualization at the top. The order is as follows:
Physiological Needs: are obvious. These needs are required for human survival. When these requirements are not met, the human body cannot function. Air, water and food are necessary for animals and humans to function. Clothing and shelter provided protection from elements (mother nature).
Safety Needs: When an individual has their physical needs satisfied, the individual's safety needs become dominant. When the safety needs become absent (wars, natural disasters, and violence) people often experience post-traumatic stress disorder, and trans-generational trauma transfer. In the absence of economic safety - due to economic crisis or lack of employment opportunities - the needs manifest in preferences such as job security, grievance procedures, savings accounts, insurance policies, and reasonable disability accomodations. Safety and security needs include:
- Personal security
- Financial security
- Health and well-being
- Safety nets against accidents/illnesses and their impacts
Love and Belonging: after the safety needs of the individual have been fulfilled, the third layer of human needs are social, and involve feeling of belongingness. The need is especially strong in children, and can override the need for safety as witnessed in children who have abusive parents. Deficiencies such as hospitalization, neglect, shunning, and ostracism can deeply affect an individual's ability to form and maintain significant relationships, such as:
- Friendship
- Intimacy
- Family
Human beings needs to feel a sense of belonging and acceptance, whether it comes from a large group (football team, classrooms, offices) or small social connections (family, friends. We need to feel love and be loved (both sexually and non-sexually) by others. In absence of these needs, people often resort to loneliness, social anxiety and clinical depression. This need for belonging can often overcome the physiological and security needs, depending the strength of peer pressure.
Esteem: all human beings need to be respected, have self-esteem and self-respect. Esteem allows the normal human desire to feel accepted and valued by others. People need to engage themselves to gain recognition, and engage in activities to give the person a sense of value. People with low self-esteem need to be respected by others. They may seek gain or glory, which depends on others. The only way people with low self-esteem can feel valued, is to accept themselves first. Psychological imbalances may affect an individual's ability to obtain self-esteem.
Maslow noted two versions of esteem needs, a lower one and a higher one. The lower one is the need for the respect of others, the need for status, recognition, fame, prestige, and attention. The higher one is the need for self-respect, the need for strength, competence, mastery, self-confidence, independence and freedom.
Self-Actualization: "What a man can be, he must be". At this level, individuals realize and gain their full potential. Maslow describes this desire as a desire to become everything that one is capable of becoming. The only way one can master this need is by achieving all the previous needs.
Viktor Frankl later added Self-transcendence to create his own version of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.
I believe that as a student, studying to become an educator, it is great to know information regarding Maslow's Hierarchy of needs because these needs are essential in life. I remember the first time I went to school, there were a lot of students going to school hungry.
Hunger is a major issue in many schools across Nunavut. Not many of the students were able to function on their school work because they were hungry. Safety is another major issue in Nunavut, many families live with abuse of all sorts (alcohol, drugs, gambling, violence). Weather is another safety issue in Nunavut, because some communities have major blizzards halting all travels, businesses, schools, and homes.
Love and belonging, I feel, is a very special need because children love feeling that they belong. I find that the only way my daughter can open up to new people, is by the individual opening up and showing affection. Children are able to function a whole lot better; therefore, in turn the child is able to develop self-esteem.
Children who have high self-esteem may be able to reach self-actualization, even at a young age. When children are brought up in a healthy environment that encourages growth and development, they are establishing behaviours. These behaviours are often brought into adolescence, and adulthood.
There are so many unfortunate events happening worldwide, because people's needs are not being met: hunger, homelessness, poverty, bullying, etc.
I decided to find resources online that may benefit your needs:
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