The Good Things in Life

Introduction

In order to find out whether people at risk of devaluation are being treated fairly, it is necessary to understand what is the bare minimum that any society should accord people who are not so devalued. This is a difficult process which is complicated by economic and social factors particular to any one culture or age.

There are very simple things that people to need, which are so basic that denial of them will do considerable harm to people.

It is all the more surprising, then, to discover that these 'Good Things' are frequently denied to devalued people.

Wolfensberger offered the following as a bare minimum that is necessary to maintain humanity in a reasonable and socially acceptable state. The loss of any of the below would do severe damage to any person.

The Good Things in Life

· Family or small intimate group

· An intermediate, but still small-scale, group

· A transcendental belief system

· Absence of imminent threats of extreme privation

· To be viewed as a human and treated with respect

· To be treated justly

· To have a say in the important issues affecting ones life

· Access to at least many of the activities of human social life

· Good health

· A place to call home

· Friends

· Work, especially meaningful work

· Opportunities and expectations to discover and develop skills, abilities, gifts and talents

· To be dealt with honestly

· To be treated as an individual

· Access to the ‘sites of everyday life’

· Being able to contribute, and having ones contributions recognised as valuable

Is This Defensible?

In so far as every judgement like this is socially constructed and culturally based, the above seems to be an acceptable minimum standard of reasonable needs for human growth and development. Anything less and such development would be impaired. Conversely, any greater claims would become increasingly culture bound and making severe economic demands on many current and historic societies.

This formulation seems to be a fair assessment of the minimal needs for human development without making questionable demands.