A taxonomy of fundamental human needs and the ways in which these needs can be satisfied was developed by Manfred Max-Neef. This was based on his work on Human Scale Development, first published in 1986.
Development and human needs Human Scale Development is basically community development and is "focused and based on the satisfaction of fundamental human needs, on the generation of growing levels of self-reliance, and on the construction of organic articulations of people with nature and technology, of global processes with local activity, of the personal with the social, of planning with autonomy and of civil society with the state. Human needs, self-reliance, and organic articulations are the pillars which support Human Scale Development." Human Scale Development "assumes a direct and participatory democracy. This form of democracy nurtures those conditions that will help to transform the traditional, semi-paternalistic role of the Latin American state into a role of encouraging creative solutions flowing from the bottom upwards. This is more consistent with the real expectations of the people." For improving the living conditions of people in Latin America, the following 3 statements are taken as a starting point:
Development is about people and not about things. When it comes to people and not just about things, the gross national product (GNP) cannot be taken as an indicator. Instead it has to be related to the quality of life (QOL). Quality of life depends on the possibilities people have to adequately satisfy their fundamental human needs. Fundamental human needs are finite, limited in number, and classifiable. This is in contrast to the traditional idea that there are many human needs, and that they are insatiable. Fundamental human needs are the same in all cultures and in all historical periods. This is in contrast to the traditional idea that human needs are subject to trends and vary to a great extent.
Needs and satisfiers A common shortcoming in existing literature and discussions about human needs is that the fundamental difference between needs and their satisfiers either is not made explicit or is completely overlooked. It may have to do with the difference between human needs and the conventional notion of economic "wants" which are infinite and insatiable. Satisfiers may include forms of organization, political structures, social practices, values and norms, spaces, types of behavior and attitudes. For example, a house can be a satisfier of the need for protection, but a family structure as well. Also one cannot say that a need is 'satisfied' or not. It is better to say that needs are satisfied to a greater or lesser extent. We can even say that one of the aspects that determine a culture is the choice of the satisfiers of the fundamental human needs. In short: culturally determined are not the basic human needs, but the satisfiers of those needs. Cultural change is, among other things, a consequence of the dropping of traditional satisfiers and the adoption of new or different satisfiers. In the context of Human Scale Development, needs do not only reflect (individual or collective) shortcomings. They can also be seen as (individual or collective) potential strengths. Fundamental human needs must be understood as a system: that is, all fundamental human needs are interrelated and interactive. With the exception of the need for livelihood, that is, to stay alive, there is no hierarchy in the system. On the other hand, simultaneities, complementarities and trade-offs are characteristics of the process of satisfying needs. There is no one-to-one correspondence between needs and satisfiers. A satisfier can simultaneously contribute to the satisfaction of different needs or, conversely, a need may require different satisfiers to be satisfied. In addition, needs have to be satisfied within three contexts: (a) in relation to oneself (Eigenwelt); (b) in relation to the social group (Mitwelt); and (c) with respect to the environment (Umwelt). The quality and intensity of the levels, and within the aforementioned contexts, will depend on time, location and circumstances. All of this also means that every fundamental human need that is not sufficiently satisfied leads to human poverty. And poverty generates pathologies, individual and collective pathologies. Some examples are: poverty of living (due to insufficient shelter); of protection (due to poor health systems); of affection (due to authoritarian systems); of understanding (as a result of poor quality of education); of participation (as a result of marginalization of women, children and minorities); and of identity (due to forced migration). Understanding these collective pathologies requires transdisciplinary research and action.
Matrix of needs and satisfiers The matrix is aimed at examining needs and satisfiers for development (Human Scale Development). Satisfiers are included in the matrix, at the intersection of existential needs (related to human existence) and axiological needs (related to human values). Max-Neef stressed that the set of needs described in this matrix is not absolute or complete, but simply an example that may be useful for analysis. When this matrix of satisfiers is created by individuals or groups from different cultures and at different times in history, it can differ considerably.
The satisfiers in the Being column are individual and collective attributes that can be expressed as nouns. The satisfiers in the Having column are institutions, norms, mechanisms, tools (not in the material sense), laws, etc. The satisfiers in the Doing column are individual or collective actions that can be expressed as verbs. The satisfiers in the Interacting column (Estar in Spanish, Befinden in German) are locations and environments.
… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.
