Instrumental, Mutual Acceptance and Vectorial Groups

Abstract

People are not born in groups. They come to life individually as separate entities and independent organisms. They need air, food, water, protection from heat and cold, as well as shelter, rest and sleep. Most of their needs cannot be satisfied unless there are some other people around to help. Human infants cannot survive unless they are assisted by others; their &dquo;social relations&dquo; are the very condition for survival.As soon as the infant is able to perceive or to feel or somehow to become aware of the presence of other individuals around him, he begins to differentiate between people who are able io help him and those who are not. People who can satisfy the infant's needs or deprive him of satisfaction have pOll'er; they are the stroll ones in contradistinction to those who cannot do so. For example, a mother can feed him; she is considered a strong person, while the unhelpful onlookers such as an old grandfather or a little brother, are weak persons.Those in power are not always willing to help. If they are willing to do so, they are friendly persons, but if they refuse or prevent satisfaction of needs they are perceived as hostile individuals. The child's well-being depends on how strong and friendly the people around him are. The child's first social relations are instrumental for survival. The process of the child's socialization can be considered as a product of his basic needs.It is essential to differentiate between the two types of needs. The first type may be considered to be such items as food, water, shelter. The second type is to be sure that the needs will be satisfied by friendly people who accept the child and are willing to help him. There is plenty of evidence that the &dquo;social&dquo; need to be accepted and to live in a friendly atmosphere appears very early. Infants fed in an unfriendly atmosphere are likely to lose weight and vomit; the unwanted, ') At the time the reported experiment was conducted, the writer was on the faculty of the

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