Creating a Quality World
Using Glasser’s Needs Theory
• Glasser, in his book, The Identity Society, explains that shortly
after World War II the newly affluent, television-saturated Western
world moved rapidly into a society in which for the first time in
recorded history the major concern of most people was no longer
survival.
•
Following the war in what he calls an "identity society", almost
everyone quickly became much more concerned with the
psychological needs, especially belonging, fun and freedom.
• Throughout history almost all people (with the exception of the few
who were very rich or very talented) were willing to accept much
more frustration of the power need than they are willing to accept
now.
Glasser suggests there are FOUR POWERFUL
NEEDS WE ALL STRIVE TO HAVE MET;
•
•
•
•
1.
2.
3.
4.
SURVIVAL
ACCEPTANCE
POWER
PLEASURE and FREEDOM
We all have a picture in our head for each need and that picture
changes all the time.
What is your picture
for:
• Security
• Acceptance
• Power
• Pleasure/freedom
Pleasure
• We attempt to
satisfy pictures in
our heads that
represent our
needs.
• Whenever a need is
unsatisfied, we look
into our picture album
for a picture that
comes closest to
satisfying the need.
“I feel accepted if I look
right”
What is right?”
• I want to be powerful.
What is power?
• If we can’t find a healthy
picture, we often move
to an unhealthy one.
Often that way is
destructive and is seen
as "troublesome"
behavior.
• Whatever total behavior we choose, it
is always our best attempt to gain
effective control of our lives, which
means to reduce the difference
between what we want at the time and
what we see is available in the real
world.
In this way, all we do, we choose to do.
WE CHOOSE TO DO WHAT IS MOST
SATISFYING TO US AT THE TIME.
• This explains, often, why our best efforts
often fail when we try to be rational and get
folks to change the way they do things but do
not put effort into changing the picture of
having their needs met.
• It is important to understand the need that
each person is experiencing.
A good classroom can be defined as a place where almost all
students believe that if they do their work, they will be
able to satisfy their needs enough so that it makes sense to
keep working.
In other words, the classroom is in their quality world.
In This Classroom:
My need for security is met by:
It could be further met by:
In This Classroom:
My need for acceptance is met by:
It could be further met by:
In This Classroom:
My need for power is met by:
It could be further met by:
In This Classroom:
My need for pleasure/freedom is met by:
It could be further met by:
Is this classroom in your quality world?
Which needs are met in this classroom?
Which needs are met at SFU?
How does this classroom “fit” with your constitution?
Does it help you to meet your long term goals?
How does SFU “fit” with your constitution?
Does it help you to meet your long term goals?
Your responsibility
• What do YOU have to do to help SFU
be in your quality world?
• What have YOU done to make sure this
class is in your quality world?