VALUES
According to M. Haralambos (2000), “A value is a
belief that something is good and desirable.”
FEATURES/CHARACTERISTICS OF VALUES
Values are often vaguely defined by an individual.
Values are often defined in terms of concepts.
Values are different states of intentionality which
when activated, guide behaviour and create
meaning.
Values support individual needs.
Values change as needs and circumstances change.
Values may be inculcated through learning or
adopted as a result of life experiences.
Most of the basic values are learnt early in life
from family, friends, neighbourhood, school,
print/visual media and other sources within the
society.
Values may be specific, such as honouring one’s
parents or owning a home or they may be more
general, such as health, love and democracy.
Value systems can be different from culture to
culture. Values are also different for each person.
While one person might value honesty, another
might value wealth.
We use ‘values self-awareness’ to evaluate the
appropriateness of our behavior as well as
behavior of others.
VALUES
Our values are qualities or ideas which each of us
cares about and considers important.
They must be chosen freely, rather than being forced
on us.
They can be morally or ethically based or simply based
on a want or need.
Our values have positive qualities for us, and tend to
show up in every aspect of our lives.
Values are the elements on which we base our actions,
behaviour and decisions.
Types of values include: family, professional, national,
spriritual.
Broad Classification of Values
Individual Values – These are the values which
are related with the development of human
personality or individual norms of recognition
and protection of the human personality such
as honesty, loyalty, honour etc.
Collective Values- Values connected with the
solidarity of the community or collective
norms of equality, justice, solidarity and
sociable are known as collective values.
On the basis of hierarchical arrangement
Terminal Values – These are the values that we
think are most important or most desirable. They
are desirable states of existence that we work
towards or try to reach.
Intrinsic Values – These are the values which are
related with goals of life. They are sometimes
known as ultimate and transcendent values.
Instrumental Values – These values come after
the intrinsic values in the hierarchy of gradation
of values. These values are the means to achieve
goals (intrinsic values) of life.
On the basis of organizational
setting/organizational values
Relationship Values – Relationship values
reflect how you relate to other people in
your life, i.e. friends, family or colleagues in
the organization.
Societal Values – Societal values reflect how
the individual or the organization relates to
society.
On the basis of nature of values
Personal Values – These are the values endorsed
by an individual.
Family Values – Family values are the principles
valued in a family, and may be good or bad.
Social-cultural Values – Cultural values are
centered on what a culture believes is fair and
just. These are the prevailing values of the
society which change with time and either
coincide or not with the family or personal
values.
(4) Material Values – These values allow an
individual to survive and are related to the basic
needs of human beings, such as food, clothing and
protection from the environment.
(5) Spiritual Values – Spiritual Values are how you
represent what you believe in when it comes to
religion/spirituality. Spiritual values are the way
you believe in your own god.
(6) Moral Values – Moral values are the attitudes
and behaviours that a society considers essential
for coexistence, order and general wellbeing of
the society.
(7) Aesthetic Values – Aesthetic values are the
values associated with evaluation of artwork or
beauty.
MAIN FUNCTIONS OF VALUES
Values play an important role in the integration and
fulfillment of man’s basic impulses and desires in a
stable and consistent manner appropriate for his
living.
They are generic experiences in social action made up
of both individual and social responses and attitudes.
They build up societies and integrate social relations.
They mould the ideal dimensions of personality and
range and depth of culture.
They influence people’s behaviour and serve as criteria
for evaluating the actions of others.
They have a great role to play in the conduct of social
life.
They help in creating norms to guide day-to-day
behaviour.
IMPORTANCE OF VALUES
The values are important because they help us to
grow and develop. They help us to create the
future we want to experience.
Their importance is independent of the
circumstances. For example, even though if we
may be unfair, fairness still has a value.
In an organization, values serve as a framework
for the behaviour of its members, In this regard,
an organization’s value are reflected in the
specific behaviours of its members, and not just in
its mission statement.
When we use our values to make decisions, we make a
deliberate choice to focus on what is important to us.
When values are shared, they build internal cohesion
in a group.
Values enable individuals to feel that they are part of
something bigger than themselves.
Values are the motive power behind purposeful
action. They are the ends to which we act.
Values are essential to ethics. Ethics is concerned with
human actions and the choice of those actions. It
determines which values should be pursued, and
which should not. Ethics is a code of values.
For the well-being of the community, it is necessary to
have shared rules that guide the behaviour of its
members, otherwise the community will not function
satisfactorily for the
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