Evaluation

Value

A Question of Value

Value is a construct which describes how much a person or group will endeavour to obtain a certain object. Although this may sound like a concept based in Capitalism, it is in fact universal- how much effort is a person or group willing to apply to gain a certain end.

People as individuals may also be said to have ‘value’, and this can be determined in the same way as the value status of objects. This assessment of individual personal value does not indicate any absolute value of that person’s life, but merely reflects how much that person is valued by another person or group.

The value accorded to a person or object by an individual or group may be best assessed by the actions of that person or group. Many people will make value statements which are not backed up by their actions.

Devaluation may be said to occur when persistent low value is placed on a person or group by a powerful person or group.

Important Concepts About Value

Giving value to an object or person is a natural and often unconscious act.

Human beings naturally and automatically place value on objects, actions ideas or people.

This value may be positive or negative.

Value accorded to people affects our reaction to people.

It is possible to research these value processes using empirical methods.

Analysis of different societies in time and place by historians and anthropologists show that according value is universal but that what is valued varies greatly and apparently randomly although some actions seem to be universal.

What Are Attitudes And Values

Much of Social Role Valorisation is concerned with attitudes and values held by the valued section of society about those seen to be devalued by that section of society. It is important that we understand the concepts of attitudes and values .

Attitude can be seen as a shorthand method of reacting quickly to situations without having to think deeply about each new stimulus. The word attitude is derived from the Latin aptus, meaning ‘fit and ready for action’.

A simple definition of an attitude is: a relatively enduring organisation of beliefs, feelings and behavioural tendencies towards socially significant objects, groups, events or symbols.

Values can be seen as a higher order concept having control over an individual’s more specific attitudes.

Different Types Of Values

Value can be divided into three distinct types: Idealised, Norm-linked and Operational.

Idealised Values

These are what might be called ‘higher’ values- those that people would aspire to.

They are often found in statements about what a society or societies should do. They are seen as goals for people who aspire to do good to aim at.

Wolfensberger notes that in the case of Western society, idealised values would be ‘altruism, compassion, kindness, unselfishness, honesty, generosity and independence.’

People in a society will often say that they strongly believe in the Idealised Values of that society, and become blind to areas where these Idealised Values are ignored.

Norm-Linked Values

This type of value is the translation of Idealised Values into rules- for instance, codes of laws.

These should be in agreement with the higher values of a society, but may be less demanding.

People in a society will often express support for the laws of a society whilst excusing and explaining away both failure to accord with Idealised values, and failure to carry out the letter of the law.

Operational Values

Operational values are those that people actually practise.

These are sometimes in agreement with the above values, but are more likely to be ignored, and breaches explained away as a necessity of life.