Need is a state of need of the body, manifested in the dependence of the individual on the objective conditions of existence and development.
Classification of needs
In psychological science, it is customary to single out the needs of a lower and higher order. Moreover, the nature of human needs 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 :
The first group is aimed at material conditions and vital means, as well as at cognition, communication, activity and rest. Derivative needs are divided into informational, moral, aesthetic, etc.
In turn, V.G. Aseev, differentiating the needs of a higher order, distinguished the following types:
- labor
- creative
- communicative (including the need for affiliation),
- aesthetic
- moral
- cognitive.
Theory of Motivation A. Maslow
The hierarchy of needs of the American psychologist A. Maslow (the so-called Maslow pyramid, 1954) is considered the most famous in psychological science.
The author identifies five main steps - higher and lower needs:
- physiological (food, sleep, etc.),
- need for security
- the need for love and belonging,
- need for recognition and respect,
- need for self-expression.
Also, in some sources, this hierarchy is presented in a more detailed form: between the 4th and 5th steps, cognitive and aesthetic needs are distinguished .
Primary, lower human needs are manifested from birth. Higher ones are formed gradually, as the primary ones are satisfied, in the process of personality development of the individual. Maslow believed that the structure and order of 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 formation of human needs, then the specifics of the formation of the needs themselves cannot be said so. It is not only about higher needs, but also lower ones. What social role do lower needs play?
Unmet 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, go to the store for groceries 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 that are potential consumers of food, then we get a full level of demand.
Thus, in answering the question of what social role the lower needs fulfill, we note primarily the socio-economic function. It can be realized within the framework of another basic human need, namely, in security. For example, when paying for treatment or when making 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 to fight crime, etc. In this case, considering the question of what social role is played by lower needs, we can talk about a socio-political function and etc.
“Cultural” transformation of needs
In turn, the British anthropologist B. Malinowski formulates the idea that a developed society creates “cultural” responses to the individual’s biological needs.
What social role do lower needs fulfill, according to this theory? Being the main drivers of human activity, they simultaneously become sources of social development.
Malinovsky distinguishes the so-called. instrumental cultural establishments (imperatives), which are certain ("cultural") types of activity: 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, economics, belief system, etc.
The American anthropologist develops the idea that every need of an individual can pass through a certain cultural transformation in society. The source of this process is tradition.
Thus, culture, according to the theory of Malinowski, acts as a material and spiritual system that ensures the individual's 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 process of the individual. Accordingly, speaking about the connection between biological needs and culture, we note the bilateral nature of this process.