Human Beings Naturally Sociocentric Animals?

¶ … HUMAN BEINGS NATURALLY SOCIOCENTRIC ANIMALS?

The objective of this work is to examine human beings as being naturally sociocentric animals.

Sociocentric is defined as: (1) Oriented toward society; outgoing; (2) Regarding one's own social group as superior to that of others. (Medical Dictionary, 2007) Human beings are born into groups within society and it is these groups that form the individual's perceptions of themselves and of others.

WELL BEING in SOCIOCENTRIC SOCIETY

The work of Steve Derne entitled: "Rethinking Well Being: Lessons from a Sociocentric Society" makes an examination of "the cultural construction of the basis of well being" through examining well-being among Hindu men in India from among upper-caste, and middle-class individuals. Derne's research suggests that due to the family structure that is "characterized by joint-household living and an economic structure that limits economic independence, men's well being is rooted in being nourished by group support." (2006) According to Derne, the fact that these Hindu men are able to find "well being in limited independence" indicates that a balance between independence and group support is "cross-culturally necessary for people to experience well being." This research has indicates that it is "social structure (rather than a cultural or psychological orientation) that grounds standards of well being." (Derne, 2006) Furthermore, Derne states that "...social change that transforms social structure without a corresponding change in cultural orientation prompts threats to well being." (2006) Derne states that: "Society Sociologists have shown that aspects of human psyche like self and emotion vary because different cultures sensitize people to different aspects of human experience."(2006)

II. THREE PRIMARY STAGES of DEVELOPMENT

David Kerrigan writes that "there appears to be a general sequence of development for human individuals and societies from one level of organization to another. This pattern emerges particularly if one combines multiple development theories." (2004) This sequence may be divided into several stages however, Kerrigan states that there are three primary stages in human psychosocial development which are those of:

1) Egocentric;

2) Sociocentric; and 3) Worldcentric. (Wilber, 2000; Erikson and Erikson, 1997; as cited in Kerrigan, 2004)

Kerrigan states that the individual may in actuality operate "simultaneously on multiple levels along different lines of development..." (2004)

III. EGOCENTRIC, SOCIOCENTRIC, and WORLDCENTRIC

Individuals come into this world, according to Kerrigan (2004); Erikson and Erikson (1997) and Wilber (2000) at the egocentric level in which "self is experienced as the center of the universe, with others as only semi-distinct extensions of the self." (2004) the individuals "worldview and moral span are limited and fundamentally relates to how the individual feels, what the individual wants..." (Kerrigan, 2004)

As the individual develops, they move to the sociocentric level "becoming more oriented to the social group (family, peer group, tribe, subculture, professional group, city, nation, co-religionists, etc.) as the reference point..." (Kerrigan, 2004) and the self is viewed as part of the social group. At this point of development the individuals "worldview and moral span expand and fundamentally relate to the value, goals, and norms of the group." (Kerrigan, 2004)

Further development moves the individual into the worldcentric level in which the individual gain orientation into the community of the world as the individual's main point of reference "with the self and all social groups being seen as a part of a vast web of being." (Kerrigan, 2004) at this stage of development the worldview and moral span experience a further expanding and "fundamentally relate to the needs and aspirations of humanity (or the living world) as a whole." (Kerrigan, 2004)

SUMMARY and CONCLUSION