Locating the Map of Meaningful Work Within Choice Theory

Locating the Map of Meaningful Work Within Choice Theory

Academic Unit

College of Education and Human Development

Publication Date

2020

Document Type

Article

Abstract

When educational settings turned upside down by pandemic-induced remote teaching and learning in Spring 2020, how were students and professors able to find meaning and redefine our quality worlds? Lips-Wiersma's Map of Meaningful Work made up of four pathways-integrity with self, unity with others, expressing full potential, and service to others-provides a means for exploring the applications of Glasser's Choice Theory and Quality Schools in a post-secondary classroom. This article is one professor's narrative of the process and progress within an undergraduate literature course by mapping the Quality School's conditions of building relationships, doing relevant and meaningful work, and engaging in self-evaluation. Locating the Map of Meaningful Work within Choice Theory Choice Theory, as Glasser stated in Quality School (1990), proposes that "all human beings are born with five basic needs built into their genetic structure: survival, love, power, fun, and freedom" (p. 43). Quality work depends on humans being able to choose situations, projects, and pathways that satisfy these basic needs. Choice Theory psychology states the following: • All we do is behave • Almost all behavior is chosen, and • We are driven by our genes to satisfy five basic needs: survival, love and belonging, power, freedom and fun. • We can only satisfy our needs by matching the pictures in our Quality World. These pictures motivate our behavior.

Journal Title

International Journal of Choice Theory and Reality Therapy

Volume

40

Issue

1

Beginning Page Number

6

Last Page Number

12

Locating the Map of Meaningful Work Within Choice Theory

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