When I self-reflect on my motives and behaviors in relation to my social world, I can clearly see how I am driven by BUC(k)ET, as theorized by Susan Fiske. These 5 basic needs help explain our behavior and guide us in enhancing our survival throughout society (Henriques PhD., 2024).
One of the most prevalent motives for me, and I suspect most people, is belonging. Thankfully, I am not as susceptible to peer-group pressure or foreclosed status as I was as an adolescent and have developed my own values, beliefs, and societal issues that I feel passionate about (Avital, 2023). My desire to belong drives me to seek out like-minded individuals to connect with, inspire, and be inspired. Belonging encourages my level of concern, pride, and responsibility, increasing my desire to improve my group memberships and society. These strong bonds promote commitment and enable collaboration, driving my social change identity and contribution to society.
The motive of understanding plays a vital role in contributing to my social change identity. The desire to be understood by others encourages me to be open and vulnerable about my thoughts and feelings, enhancing my communication and interactions, and allowing me to form deeper connections with other members of society (Brown, 2010). While wanting to be understood, I am also motivated to truly understand other people, cultures, and perspectives, promoting my social change identity. This diversity increases my awareness and empathy, providing me with more opportunities to not only identify societal issues but supports my collective efforts to promote societal growth (Fiske & Marakus, 2012).
Control is another motive that can contribute to social change identity. More than I want to admit, I am a calculating individual, manipulating my every interaction to be beneficial. That sounds sinister, but it is our means to survival. My control motivation enables me to make efforts to seek out and foster group memberships. It allows me to create a goal for positive change and be proactive in reaching that desired effect (Murphy, n.d). While navigating my course to success, control guides me through each step and every obstacle, forging a path to positive change, both personally and within society.
One of my goals for every lived day is to enhance myself, intellectually, emotionally, spiritually, and socially. My need to improve myself socially includes seeking out and fostering relationships that make me a better person and make society a better place. Through self-reflection, we can identify and challenge our biases and assumptions, improving all our relationships and interactions (Murphy, n.d.) Being the best version of myself translates to being a more functional, responsible, informed, contributing member of society, guiding my social change identity, and hopefully setting an example for others to do the same.
Trust is also a motive for my social change identity. It is human nature to seek out safe, secure relationships within our personal lives and communities. Striving to be an authentic, trustworthy person facilitates my group memberships, deepens my connections, and allows me to successfully collaborate for positive change. Concurrently, I seek out group memberships that I feel are trustworthy, increasing my willingness to engage and level of commitment, thereby promoting my social change identity.
The society and world we live in is constantly changing, adapting, and evolving to meet changing needs and desires. This requires an appropriate response from us, which can be difficult. Using Susan Fiske’s 5 motives can help us to understand, process, or counter the effects of social change. Like Erik Erikson’s 8 stages of identity development, these theories offer insight into our mental state, helping us better understand our motivation and predict our behaviors and emotions, as well as those of others (Avital, 2023). A comprehension of what drives us, such as control, trust, belonging, self-enhancement, and understanding, enhances our decision-making process, offering guidance in resolving conflict and satisfying our basic needs, regardless of what changes occur around us. Comprehending these motives in-depth and acknowledging how they shape our lives increases our emotional intelligence, helping us navigate the needs and expectations of ourselves and both in- and out-groups. Through this self-awareness, self-reflection, and awareness of others, we can more readily identify when there is a need for transformation, facilitate making appropriate changes, and enable us to know when certain changes are not in our best interest, and therefore should not be conformed to.
References –
Avital, B. L. (2023). Identity Crises. Shapiro Library - SNHU; Salem Press. https://eds-p-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.snhu.edu/eds/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=6b2f3af6-919b-4d13-b5d0-c38ca331a9f2%40redis&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#AN=93872035&db=ers
Fiske, S. T., & Markus, H. R. (2012). Facing Social Class : How Societal Rank Influences Interaction. Bright Space ; Russel Sage Foundation. https://eds-p-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.snhu.edu/eds/ebookviewer/ebook?sid=b1e2d1e3-4b95-4d50-8e20-0d3cfd7e304a%40redis&ppid=pp_i&vid=0&format=EB.
Henriques PhD., G. (2024, February 6). The BUC(k)ET Model of Core Social Motives | Psychology Today. Www.psychologytoday.com; Sussex Publishers, LLC. https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/theory-of-knowledge/202402/the-bucket-model-of-core-social-motives
ufhttps://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00885/ful
Murphy, Q. (n.d.-a). PSY 491 A Review of Susan Fiske 5 Core Social Motives. Bright Space; Southern New Hampshire University. https://learn.snhu.edu/content/enforced/1650745-PSY-491-15148.202456-1/course_documents/PSY%20491%20A%20Review%20of%20Susan%20Fiske%205%20Core%20Social%20Motives.pdf?ou=1650745