Maslow's Hierarchy

Question:

1) Can children learn in school if they are hungry or feel unsafe in their neighborhood? Take Maslow's hierarchy of needs into account when answering this question.

2)What criticisms would you offer about this hierarchy?



Answer:  

1) No children would not be able to learn in a school setting if they are hungry or feel unsafe in their neighborhood because according to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, people must fulfill their lower level needs such as for survival, safety, followed by belonging and then self-esteem first. If a child is hungry or feels unsafe for any reason, they cannot move forward with fulfilling higher-level needs until the needs of being fed and being kept safe are satisfied. Once these are satisfied, the motivation for fulfilling those needs decrease and they can now move forward with fulfilling higher-level needs such as intellectual achievement.

2)  Criticisms that have arose about this hierarchy are that people don't and won't always appear to follow the theory the way that Maslow predicts it will work out. Most people move back and forth between different needs like from higher-level needs to lower-level needs and then back again. Life is not like a pyramid where once you fulfill a need you move on and never see that need again, it will keep coming back whenever it needs to be fulfilled.