Why is sociocultural stimulation important?

One of the human needs that we must take into account.

On many occasions, experts in the field of social psychology have defended the idea that human beings are social beings by nature.

But what does this statement really mean and what implications can a deficiency in the relationship that human beings establish with their environment have on them?

Human needs: what are they?

The Hierarchy of Needs proposed by Abraham Maslow was presented in 1943 as a pyramid-shaped model representing five typologies of needs to be satisfied by the human being, arranged according to their complexity and relevance in achieving the maximum state of personal growth. At the base level are physiological needs (food, for example), followed by security needs (protection of the individual), social acceptance needs (belonging and love), self-esteem needs (valuing one's own status) and, at the highest level, self-fulfillment needs (self-fulfillment).

The first four types of needs are called "deficit needs", since it is possible to satisfy them at a given moment, while the fifth is known as "being need", because it can never be completely satisfied, it is continuous. When an individual reaches the satisfaction of the most elementary needs, his interest in covering the needs of higher levels increases. This displacement towards the top of the pyramid is defined as growth force.. In contrast, the decline in the attainment of increasingly primitive needs is due to the action of regressive forces.

The satisfaction of needs

Maslow understands that every human being aspires to the satisfaction of needs at higher and higher levels, although he admits that not all people wish to conquer the need for the satisfaction of needs.Although he admits that not all people wish to conquer the need for self-fulfillment, it seems to be a more particular goal depending on the characteristics of the individual. Another important idea of the author's model is that it highlights the relationship between action (behavior) and the will to achieve the different levels of needs. Thus, unsatisfied needs are the only ones that motivate behavior and not those already consolidated.

As can be seen, all the components of the pyramid of needs in Maslow's model are closely related to the significant relevance of the environment for human beings. Thus, both the baseline or physiological elements as well as those of security, belonging and self-esteem can only come to be understood and occur when an individual develops in society (at least in a psychologically adaptive way).

Relevance of environmental stimulation in humans

Countless research studies have shown how human development is influenced by Biological or genetic factors, by environmental factors and by the interaction between the two. Thus, an internal predisposition is modulated by the context in which the subject develops and gives rise to a very particular conformation of the characteristics that he/she manifests, both at a cognitive, emotional and behavioral level.

Among the environmental factors to be taken into account as determining aspects in the psychological development of children are:

• The child's relationship with the environmentThe affective bonds established with the referent figures derived from the affectionate and caring behaviors coming from them.

• The perception of stability of the surrounding framework (family, school, etc.). (family, school, etc.).

Both aspects have a significant influence on the type of cognitive and emotional functioning internalized by the child, on the quality of his or her communicative skills, on adaptation to the changing environment and on his or her attitude towards learning.

An example of the above is illustrated by the scientific experience of the physician Jean Itard with the wild child of Aveyron. The boy was found at the age of 11 years old in the forest, and a behavior similar to that of an untamed animal was observed in him. After a substantial alteration of the boy's context he was able to learn certain social skills, although it is true that progress was limited since the environmental intervention occurred at a very advanced stage of development.

Secondary intersubjectivity

In reference to the aforementioned point about affective bonds, the role of the concept of the role of the concept of "secondary intersubjectivity" can also be considered as relevant.. Secondary intersubjectivity refers to the phenomenon that takes place in infants of approximately one year of life and consists of a form of primitive symbolic interaction between the infant and the mother where two types of intentional acts are combined simultaneously: the praxic (such as pointing to an object) and the interpersonal (smiling, physical contact with the other, among others).

A deficit in the achievement of this developmental milestone is determined by the establishment of a non-secure affective bond and may have significant consequences such as difficulty in constructing a symbolic world of their own, deficits in interpersonal communication and intentional interaction or the development of stereotyped behaviors similar to those manifested in the autistic spectrum.

The contribution of Ecological or Systemic Theories

One of the fundamental contributions in this regard has been the proposals of the Ecological-Systemic Theories, which defend the relevance of intervening not only in the subject in question, but also in the different social systems where the subject interacts, such as the family, the school and other environments such as the neighborhood, the peer group, etc. In turn, the various systems influence each other and others simultaneously..

From this systemic conception, it is understood that individual behavior is the result of the relationship between the subject, the environment and the interaction between both parts (transactional). The system, therefore, is not equal to the sum of its components; it has a different nature. In this sense, this model provides a holistic vision of the human development process, assuming that all the capacities of the subject in the infant stage (cognitive, linguistic, physical, social and emotional) are interrelated and form a global whole that cannot be segmented into specific areas.

Another characteristic of child development offered by this theoretical proposal is its dynamism, whereby the context must adapt to the needs of the subject in order to facilitate the maturation process. The family, as the main system in which the child's development takes place, also presents these three particularities (holism, dynamism, and transactionality) and should be responsible for providing the child with a safe physical and psychological context that guarantees the overall growth of the child in all the developmental areas indicated.

Relationship between the concept of Resilience and Sociocultural Deprivation

The Resilience Theory emerged from the work done by John Bowlby, main author of the Attachment Theories established between the infant and the affective reference figure. This concept was adopted by the Positive Psychology current and was defined as the capacity to face adversity in an active and effective way and to be strengthened by it. Research shows that resilient people present lower rates of psychopathological alterations, since this phenomenon becomes a protective factor.

In relation to the issue of sociocultural deprivation, the Theory of Resilience explains that the person exposed to an environment that is not very stimulating and adequate for development (which could be understood as an adversity) can overcome this complication and manage to reach a satisfactory development that allows him/her to advance that allows him/her to progress through the different stages of life adaptively.

Intervention in cases of socio-cultural deprivation: Compensatory Education Programs

Compensatory Education Programs have the objective of reducing the educational limitations in groups that present socio-cultural and economic deprivation that makes it difficult for them to achieve their inclusion in society as a whole in a satisfactory way. Their ultimate goal is to achieve a positive link between the family, the school and the community..

These programs are situated within an ecological or systemic explanatory perspective, therefore, they prioritize directing their intervention in the environmental context in which the individual is circumscribed, analyzing and altering (if necessary) the economic factors, offering psycho-educational guidelines on the relevance of collaborating with the school area, addressing the emotional problems of the students and working to promote teacher training..

By way of conclusion

Throughout the text it has been observed and contrasted how decisive is the quality and enriching nature of the context in which an individual develops in order to facilitate or bring him/her closer to a greater emotional or psychological well-being. Once again, it is demonstrated that the way in which the different factors are interrelated is very diverse.The psychological factors, both internal or personal and external or environmental, shape how the individual development of each human being takes place.

Therefore, in the field of psychology, it cannot be accurate to attribute a given event or psychological functioning to a single specific and isolated cause.

Bibliographical references:

• Baeza, M. C. Intervención educativa sobre problemas fundamentales de desadaptación social. (2001). http://www.um.es/dp-teoria-historia-educacion/programas/educsocial/interv-educ.doc.

• Cano Moreno, J. (2000). Atención educativa a las necesidades especiales relacionadas con el contexto sociocultural.

• Del Arco Bravo, I. (1998). Towards an intercultural school. Teachers: training and expectations. Lleida: Educació i món actual.

• Domingo Segovia, J. and Miñán Espigares, A. (2001). Special educational needs related to the socio-cultural context. Chapter 25, in Enciclopedia Psicopedagógica de Necesidades Educativas Especiales. Málaga: Aljibe.

• Grau, C.; Zabala, J.; Ramos. C. Early intervention programs as compensatory education: model of a structured program: Bereiter - Engelmann. Available here.

• Martínez Coll, J. C. (2001) "Las necesidades sociales y la pirámide de Maslow", in La Economía de Mercado, virtudes e inconvenientes.