Description of Challenge
In the 1950s, Clare Graves of Union College, New York was asked by his students
which of the many theories about human behaviour was actually true. This challenge
inspired him to conduct years of empirical research from 195274 into how individuals,
groups and societies actually behave.
When one form of existence ceases to be functional for the realities of existence, then
some other form, either higher or lower in the hierarchy, is the better style of living. (Dr
Clare Graves)
Solution
From his research, Dr Graves formulated a model of human development which was
then developed by Don Beck, Christopher Cowan and others into Spiral Dynamics.
Graves classified a total of eight levels of increasingly complex human value systems
consisting of a hierarchically ordered, alwaysopentochange set of identifiable
worldviews, preferences, and purposes. Individuals, groups and even nation states
move up and down the spiral in response to changes in life conditions and their
evolutionary drive. Working with this model can be very helpful in gaining a better
understanding of ourselves, the groups we are in, sources of tension and conflict, and
how to resolve them.
References:
www.spiraldynamics.org
www.spiraldynamics.net
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vurrM5MT6Rk
Submitted by Robin
Developed in collaboration with
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