Team:Basic Needs
Activities: Define Basic Needs, according to Maslow and others, to identify clearly what Human Needs will be required to be met by IMAR and the community
This is the Wiki page for The RBE10K Project's Basic Needs Team. To find information about other teams, see the complete list.
Contents |
Objectives
Define content for the RBE10K/Needs page, which will serve to identify the basic requirements of the whole project.
Summary
The cornerstone of basic needs research is most probably Maslow's hierarchy (pyramid) of needs. The pyramid has 5 levels: Physiological needs (food, drink, air, sleep, sex), Safety, Love and friendship, Self-esteem/status and Self-actualisation. The basic underlying idea is that the lower level needs come first, then if they're satisfied one can move higher. The first four as classified as D-needs (Deficiency) while Self-actualisation fulfils B-needs (Being). This means the first four focus on what's missing while the tip focuses on what else could be achieved to reach one's full potential.
There have been alternative versions of the pyramid, one putting high emphasis on evolutionary needs (breeding and parenting) and also noting that lower level needs never disappear even if you generally have them covered[1]. Choice Theory [1] lists these as basic needs: Love & Belonging, Power, Fun, Survival, Freedom. These pretty much correspond to Maslow's theory, with the addition of Fun (Freedom comes from Safety). Manfred Max-Neef proposes that there are universal needs that interact with each other. These are Idleness (Relax), Subsistence (Survive), Freedom (Choose), Affection (Love), Identity (Belong), Protection (Protect), Understanding (Understand), Creation (Create), Participation (Stand Up). A danger is that by fulfilling one need, one may compromise another, such as by trading freedom for security. The upside is that many activities fulfil multiple needs. One motivation behind this view is that poor people are not necessary lacking in the higher steps of Maslow's (they can be very creative and often have a strong sense of community). [2]
In RBE10k
We aim to provide everything required for both the body and the spirit. One problem here is that we will all come from a capitalist system and will be more or less conditioned to desire things we don't need. However, most of us have probably realised the harmful effects of television and advertising and have removed them from our lives. The current planning focuses mainly on physiological needs, which will take up the bulk of the budget and workload. This includes building houses with furniture, buying food for 2 years plus seeds and plants, ensuring water supply, having electricity, thinking about medical care. Belonging needs will mostly be covered by working together but we will surely also have fun together! Musical instruments, sports instruments etc would provide group activity. We will also retain connection with the outside world via the Internet, posting videos and blogging about our lives. Self-esteem is mainly a question of mindset. If you aren't constantly comparing yourself to others and instead focus on what you love about yourself, it will come naturally. Self-actualisation will in fact be the project itself! Although everyone is free to pursue their own interests while in the community. Since the materials required will vary greatly, we will consider this later on.
The question of Freedom requires special attention. We strongly believe no one's freedom should come at the expense of someone else. However, even to set up the community, we will still need to buy materials from the capitalist system. It is also possible that we will occasionally need something only provided by the outside world such as advanced medical care. The ultimate aim is to break free from that. Within the community, no one would be forced to do anything. Everyone's contribution will be voluntary. Now, what about things like freedom of speech? Freedom to play loud music? Here it might be difficult to draw the line, so a peaceful solution must be worked out that satisfies everyone involved. It is often worth asking, "What is the underlying need and how can it be satisfied in a way that does not impact anyone else's freedom?"
Existing studies
- Maslow's hierarchy of needs, Metamotivation and ERG theory
- Manfred Max-Neef's fundamental human needs
- Murray's system of needs
- [[w:Juan Antonio Pérez López#Motivations_and_motives|]]
- Human needs mind maps
- Alternative and esoteric views on needs:
- Tony Robbin's 6 Human Needs and The Egoic Needs
- Leadership needs (Note: in RBE everybody is their own leader)
- Alek Vila's The cycle of needs
- Brenton and Rebekah Russell on Maslow's and William Glasser's basic needs
- The primary needs chart (Note: "advanced alchemy")
- Scott Grossberg's The alchemy of human needs
- Other related material:
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References
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