Activity- this is a specifically human activity, regulated by consciousness, generated by needs and aimed at understanding and transforming the external world and the person himself.
The main feature of activity is that its content is not determined entirely by the need that gave rise to it. Need as a motive (impulse) gives impetus to activity, but the very forms and content of activity determined by public goals, requirements and experience.
Distinguish three main activities: play, learning and work. Purpose games is the “activity” itself, and not its results. Human activity aimed at acquiring knowledge, skills and abilities is called teaching. is an activity whose purpose is the production of socially necessary products.
Characteristics of activity
Activity is understood as a specifically human way of actively relating to the world - a process during which a person creatively transforms the world around us, turning oneself into an active subject, and the phenomena being mastered into an object of one’s activity.
Under subject Here we mean the source of activity, the actor. Since it is, as a rule, a person who exhibits activity, most often it is he who is called the subject.
Object call the passive, passive, inert side of the relationship, on which activity is carried out. The object of activity can be natural material or object (land in rural economic activity), another person (a student as an object of learning) or the subject himself (in the case of self-education, sports training).
To understand an activity, there are several important characteristics to consider.
Man and activity are inextricably linked. Activity is an indispensable condition human life: she created man himself, preserved him in history and predetermined the progressive development of culture. Consequently, a person does not exist outside of activity. The opposite is also true: there is no activity without a person. Only man is capable of labor, spiritual and other transformative activities.
Activity is a transformation of the environment. Animals adapt to natural conditions. A person is capable of actively changing these conditions. For example, he is not limited to collecting plants for food, but grows them in the course of agricultural activities.
Activity acts as a creative, constructive activity: Man, in the process of his activity, goes beyond the boundaries of natural possibilities, creating something new that did not previously exist in nature.
Thus, in the process of activity, a person creatively transforms reality, himself and his social connections.
The essence of the activity is revealed in more detail during its structural analysis.
Basic forms of human activity
Human activity is carried out in (industrial, domestic, natural environment).
Activity- active interaction of a person with the environment, the result of which should be its usefulness, requiring from a person high mobility of nervous processes, fast and accurate movements, increased activity of perception, emotional stability.
The study of a person in the process is carried out by ergonomics, the purpose of which is to optimize work activity on the basis of rational consideration of human capabilities.
The whole variety of forms of human activity can be divided into two main groups according to the nature of the functions performed by a person - physical and mental labor.
Physical labor
Physical labor requires significant muscle activity, is characterized by a load on the musculoskeletal system and functional systems body (cardiovascular, respiratory, neuromuscular, etc.), and also requires increased energy costs from 17 to 25 mJ (4,000-6,000 kcal) and more per day.
Mental work
Mental work (intellectual activity) is work that combines work related to the reception and processing of information, requiring intense attention, memory, and activation of thinking processes. Daily energy consumption during mental work is 10-11.7 mJ (2,000-2,400 kcal).
Structure of human activity
The structure of an activity is usually represented in a linear form, with each component following the other in time.
Need → Motive→ Goal→ Means→ Action→ Result
Let's consider all components of the activity one by one.
Need for Action
Need- this is need, dissatisfaction, a feeling of lack of something necessary for normal existence. In order for a person to begin to act, it is necessary to understand this need and its nature.
The most developed classification belongs to the American psychologist Abraham Maslow (1908-1970) and is known as the pyramid of needs (Fig. 2.2).
Maslow divided needs into primary, or innate, and secondary, or acquired. These in turn include the needs:
- physiological - in food, water, air, clothing, warmth, sleep, cleanliness, shelter, physical rest, etc.;
- existential— safety and security, inviolability of personal property, guaranteed employment, confidence in the future, etc.;
- social - the desire to belong and participate in any social group, team, etc. The values of affection, friendship, love are based on these needs;
- prestigious - based on the desire for respect, recognition by others of personal achievements, on the values of self-affirmation and leadership;
- spiritual - focused on self-expression, self-actualization, creative development and use of one’s skills, abilities and knowledge.
- The hierarchy of needs has been changed many times and supplemented by various psychologists. Maslow himself, in the later stages of his research, added three additional groups needs:
- educational- in knowledge, skill, understanding, research. This includes the desire to discover new things, curiosity, the desire for self-knowledge;
- aesthetic- desire for harmony, order, beauty;
- transcending- a selfless desire to help others in spiritual self-improvement, in their desire for self-expression.
According to Maslow, in order to satisfy higher, spiritual needs, it is necessary to first satisfy those needs that occupy a place in the pyramid below them. If the needs of any level are fully satisfied, a person has a natural need to satisfy the needs of a higher level.
Motives for activity
Motive - a need-based conscious impulse that justifies and justifies an activity. A need will become a motive if it is perceived not just as a need, but as a guide to action.
In the process of motive formation, not only needs, but also other motives are involved. As a rule, needs are mediated by interests, traditions, beliefs, social attitudes, etc.
Interest is a specific reason for action that determines. Although all people have the same needs, they are different social groups have their own interests. For example, the interests of workers and factory owners, men and women, youth and pensioners are different. So, innovations are more important for pensioners, traditions are more important for pensioners; Entrepreneurs have rather material interests, while artists have spiritual interests. Each person also has his own personal interests, based on individual inclinations, likes (people listen to different music, engage in different types sports, etc.).
Traditions represent a social and cultural heritage passed on from generation to generation. We can talk about religious, professional, corporate, national (for example, French or Russian) traditions, etc. For the sake of some traditions (for example, military ones), a person can limit his primary needs (by replacing safety and security with activities in high-risk conditions).
Beliefs- strong, principled views on the world, based on a person’s ideological ideals and implying a person’s willingness to give up a number of needs (for example, comfort and money) for the sake of what he considers right (for the sake of preserving honor and dignity).
Settings- a person’s predominant orientation towards certain institutions of society, which overlap with needs. For example, a person may be focused on religious values, or material enrichment, or public opinion. Accordingly, he will act differently in each case.
In complex activities, it is usually possible to identify not one motive, but several. In this case, the main motive is identified, which is considered the driving one.
Activity goals
Target - This is a conscious idea of the result of an activity, an anticipation of the future. Any activity involves goal setting, i.e. ability to independently set goals. Animals, unlike humans, cannot set goals themselves: their program of activity is predetermined and expressed in instincts. A person is able to form his own programs, creating something that has never existed in nature. Since there is no goal-setting in the activity of animals, it is not an activity. Moreover, if an animal never imagines the results of its activity in advance, then a person, starting an activity, keeps in his mind the image of the expected object: before creating something in reality, he creates it in his mind.
However, the goal can be complex and sometimes requires a series of intermediate steps to achieve it. For example, to plant a tree, you need to purchase a seedling, find a suitable place, take a shovel, dig a hole, place the seedling in it, water it, etc. Ideas about intermediate results are called objectives. Thus, the goal is divided into specific tasks: if all these tasks are solved, then the overall goal will be achieved.
Tools used in activities
Means - these are techniques, methods of action, objects, etc. used in the course of activity. For example, to learn social studies, you need lectures, textbooks, and assignments. To be good specialist, you need to get vocational education, have work experience, constantly practice in their activities, etc.
The means must correspond to the ends in two senses. First, the means must be proportionate to the ends. In other words, they cannot be insufficient (otherwise the activity will be fruitless) or excessive (otherwise energy and resources will be wasted). For example, you cannot build a house if there are not enough materials for it; It also makes no sense to buy materials several times more than are needed for its construction.
Secondly, the means must be moral: immoral means cannot be justified by the nobility of the end. If goals are immoral, then all activities are immoral (in this regard, the hero of F. M. Dostoevsky’s novel “The Brothers Karamazov” Ivan asked whether the kingdom of world harmony is worth one tear of a tortured child).
Action
Action - an element of activity that has a relatively independent and conscious task. An activity consists of individual actions. For example, teaching activities consist of preparing and delivering lectures, conducting seminars, preparing assignments, etc.
The German sociologist Max Weber (1865-1920) identified the following types of social actions:
- purposeful - actions aimed at achieving a reasonable goal. At the same time, a person clearly calculates all the means and possible obstacles (a general planning a battle; a businessman organizing an enterprise; a teacher preparing a lecture);
- value-rational- actions based on beliefs, principles, moral and aesthetic values (for example, a prisoner’s refusal to transfer valuable information to the enemy, saving a drowning man at the risk of his own life);
- affective - actions committed under the influence of strong feelings - hatred, fear (for example, flight from an enemy or spontaneous aggression);
- traditional- actions based on habit, often being an automatic reaction developed on the basis of customs, beliefs, patterns, etc. (for example, following certain rituals in a wedding ceremony).
The basis of activity is the actions of the first two types, since only they have a conscious goal and are creative in nature. Affects and traditional actions are only capable of exerting some influence on the course of activity as auxiliary elements.
Special forms of action are: actions - actions that have value-rational, moral significance, and actions - actions that have a high positive social significance. For example, helping a person is an act, winning an important battle is an act. Drinking a glass of water is an ordinary action that is neither an act nor an act. The word "act" is often used in jurisprudence to denote an action or omission that violates legal norms. For example, in legislation “a crime is an unlawful, socially dangerous, guilty act.”
Result of activity
Result- this is the final result, the state in which the need is satisfied (in whole or in part). For example, the result of study can be knowledge, skills and abilities, the result - , the result of scientific activity - ideas and inventions. The result of the activity itself can be, since in the course of the activity it develops and changes.
Types of human activities- a rather subjective concept, since if desired, they can be described on more than one page, but most psychologists and sociologists have decided on three main specific types: learning, play and work. Each age has its own main type of activity, but this does not mean that adults do not play and schoolchildren do not work.
Labor activity.
Labor activity ( work) is the transformation by man of both material and intangible objects in order to use them in the future to satisfy his needs. According to the nature of the actions taken, labor activity divided into:
- practical activities(or productive activity - changing natural objects, or changing society);
- spiritual activity(intellectual, creativity, etc.).
It is this type of activity, according to most anthropologists, that is driving force evolution of people. Thus, in the process of labor, the purpose of which is the production of any product, the worker himself is formed. Perhaps work is one of the main types of activity, but effective work activity would not exist without one more type of it - teaching, or training.
Educational activities.
Educational activities ( training, education) is an activity aimed at acquiring knowledge, skills and abilities. The value of this type of activity is that it prepares a person for work. Teaching is a broad concept that has many varieties. This doesn't have to mean sitting in your pants at a desk at school. This includes sports training, reading books, movies, and TV shows (not all TV shows, of course). Self-education as a type of learning can take place in a passive, unconscious form throughout a person’s life. For example, you were flipping through channels on TV and accidentally heard a recipe on a cooking show, and then it unexpectedly came in handy.
Game activity.
Game activity ( game) - a type of activity whose goal is the activity itself, and not the result. The case when the main thing is participation, that is, the process itself is important. This is the classic definition. Nevertheless, the game, in my opinion, is, if not a type of education, then its branch, because it, like education, is a preparation for work. A sort of spin-off of studies, if you like. Playing with cubes, Cossack robbers, “Call of Duty” or “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” - all these games, to one degree or another, teach some type of mental or physical activity, bring some skills, knowledge, abilities. They develop logic, erudition, reaction, physical condition of the body, and so on. There are many types of games: individual and group, subject and plot, role-playing, intellectual, etc.
Variety of activities.
The above classification of human activity is generally accepted, but not the only one. Sociologists highlight certain types of activity as the main ones, psychologists - others, historians - others, and cultural scientists - fourth. They characterize an activity in terms of its usefulness/uselessness, morality/immorality, creation/destruction, etc. Human activity can be labor and leisure, creative and consumer, constructive and destructive, cognitive and value-oriented, and so on.
This section includes:
The physical and/or chemical processing of materials, substances or components with the aim of converting them into new products, although this cannot be used as a single universal criterion for defining production (see "waste recycling" below)
Materials, substances or transformed components are raw materials, i.e. products agriculture, forestry, fisheries, rocks and minerals and other processed products. It is believed that significant periodic changes, updating or transforming products belongs to production.
The products produced may be ready for consumption or may be a semi-finished product for further processing. For example, the product of aluminum purification is used as a raw material for the primary production of aluminum products, such as aluminum wire, which in turn will be used in the necessary structures; production of machinery and equipment for which these spare parts and accessories are intended. The production of non-specialized components and parts of machinery and equipment, such as engines, pistons, electric motors, valves, gears, bearings, is classified in the appropriate grouping of Section C, Manufacturing, regardless of which machinery and equipment these items may include. However, the production of specialized components and accessories by casting/molding or stamping of plastic materials is included in Class 22.2. The assembly of components and parts is also classified as production. This section includes the assembly of complete structures from constituent components, produced independently or purchased. Waste recycling, i.e. processing of waste for the production of secondary raw materials is included in group 38.3 (activities for processing secondary raw materials). Although physical and chemical processing may occur, this is not considered part of manufacturing. The primary purpose of these activities is the basic treatment or treatment of waste, which is classified in section E (water supply; sewerage, collection and waste disposal, pollution control activities). However, the production of new finished products (as opposed to products made from recycled materials) applies to all production as a whole, even if waste is used in these processes. For example, producing silver from film waste is considered a manufacturing process. Special maintenance and repair of industrial, commercial and similar machinery and equipment are generally included in group 33 (repair and installation of machinery and equipment). However, repair of computers and household devices is listed in group 95 (repair of computers, personal items and household items), while at the same time, car repair is described in group 45 (wholesale and retail and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles). Installation of machinery and equipment as a highly specialized activity is classified in group 33.20
Note - The boundaries of manufacturing with other sections of this classifier may not have a clear, unambiguous specification. Typically, manufacturing involves the processing of materials to produce new products. Usually these are completely new products. However, determining what constitutes a new product can be somewhat subjective
Processing implies the following types of activities involved in production and defined in this classifier:
Processing of fresh fish (removing oysters from shells, filleting fish) not carried out on board a fishing vessel, see 10.20;
Pasteurization of milk and bottling, see 10.51;
Leather dressing, see 15.11;
Sawing and planing of wood; impregnation of wood, see 16.10;
Printing and related activities, see 18.1;
Tire retreading, see 22.11;
Production of ready-to-use concrete mixtures, see 23.63;
Electroplating, metallization and heat treatment metal, see 25.61;
Mechanical equipment for repair or overhaul (e.g. automobile engines), see 29.10
There are also types of activities included in the processing process, which are reflected in other sections of the classifier, i.e. they are not classified as manufacturing industries.
They include:
Logging classified under Section A (AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY, HUNTING, FISHING AND FISH CULTURE);
Modification of agricultural products classified in section A;
Preparation food products for immediate consumption on premises, classified in group 56 (activities of enterprises catering and bars);
Processing of ores and other minerals, classified in section B (MINERAL MINING);
Construction and assembly work, carried out on construction sites, classified in section F (CONSTRUCTION);
Activities of breaking down large quantities of goods into smaller units and secondary marketing of smaller quantities, including packaging, repackaging or bottling products such as alcoholic beverages or chemicals;
Sorting of solid waste;
Mixing paints according to customer's order;
Metal cutting according to customer's order;
Explanations for various goods classified under section G (WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADE; REPAIR OF MOTOR VEHICLES AND MOTORCYCLES)
Nature has given us the main differences from animals - intelligence and activity. Constant inaction inevitably leads to personality degradation, so activity is the most important tool for development. The types and forms of human activity today are quite diverse - this is play, learning and work. The game has the function of entertainment and relaxation. Learning helps in acquiring skills and knowledge. And work contributes to the formation and growth of personality. Activity plays a major role in a person’s life. And in order to know where to direct our energy, let’s figure out what types of activities exist in nature.
Types of human cognitive activity
Teaching or cognitive activity refers to the spiritual spheres of human life and society. There are four types of cognitive activity:
- everyday - consists of sharing experiences and the images that people carry within themselves and share with the outside world;
- scientific - characterized by the study and use of various laws and patterns. The main goal of scientific cognitive activity is to create an ideal system of the material world;
- artistic cognitive activity consists in the attempt of creators and artists to assess the surrounding reality and find shades of beauty and ugliness in it;
- religious. Its subject is the person himself. His actions are assessed from the point of view of pleasing to God. This also includes moral standards and moral aspects of actions. Considering that a person’s whole life consists of actions, spiritual activity plays an important role in their formation.
Types of human spiritual activity
The spiritual life of a person and society corresponds to such types of activities as religious, scientific and creative. Knowing about the essence of scientific and religious activity, it is worth taking a closer look at the types of human creative activity. These include artistic or musical direction, literature and architecture, directing and acting. Every person has the makings of creativity, but to reveal them you need to work long and hard.
Types of human labor activity
In the process of work, a person’s worldview and his life principles. Labor activity requires planning and discipline from the individual. Types of work activity are both mental and physical. There is a stereotype in society that physical labor is much more difficult than mental labor. Although the work of the intellect does not appear outwardly, in fact these types of work activities are almost equal. Once again, this fact proves the diversity of professions that exist today.
Species professional activity person
In a broad sense, the concept of profession means a diverse form of activity performed for the benefit of society. Simply put, the essence of professional activity comes down to the fact that people work for people and for the benefit of the whole society. There are 5 types of professional activities.
- Man-nature. The essence of this activity is interaction with living beings: plants, animals and microorganisms.
- Man-man. This type includes professions in one way or another related to interaction with people. The activity here is to educate, guide people, and provide information, trade and consumer services.
- Man-technology. A type of activity characterized by the interaction of humans and technical structures and mechanisms. This includes everything related to automatic and mechanical systems, materials and types of energy.
- Man - sign systems. Activities of this type involve interacting with numbers, signs, natural and artificial languages.
- Man is an artistic image. All belong to this type creative professions related to music, literature, acting, and visual arts.
Types of economic activities of people
Human economic activity in lately is fiercely contested by conservationists because it is based on natural reserves that will soon run out. Types of human economic activity include the extraction of minerals, such as oil, metals, stones and everything that can benefit humans and cause damage not only to nature, but to the entire planet.
Types of human information activities
An integral part of human interaction with the outside world is information. Types of information activities include receiving, using, distributing and storing information. Information activities often become a threat to life, since there are always people who do not want third parties to know and disclose any facts. Also, this type of activity can be provocative in nature, and also be a means of manipulating the consciousness of society.
Mental activity affects the state of the individual and the productivity of his life. The most simple view mental activity is a reflex. These are habits and skills established through constant repetition. They are almost invisible compared to the most complex look mental activity - creativity. It is distinguished by constant diversity and originality, originality and uniqueness. That’s why creative people are so often emotionally unstable, and professions related to creativity are considered the most difficult. That is why creative people are called talents who can transform this world and instill cultural skills in society.
Culture includes all types of transformative human activity. 
There are only two types of this activity - creation and destruction. The second, unfortunately, is more common. Many years of human transformative activity in nature have led to troubles and disasters. Only creativity can come to the rescue here, and this means, at a minimum, the restoration of natural resources.
Activity distinguishes us from animals. Some of its types benefit the development and formation of personality, others are destructive. Knowing what qualities are inherent in us, we can avoid disastrous consequences own activities. This will not only benefit the world around us, but will also allow us to do what we love with a clear conscience and consider ourselves people with a capital “H.”
Classify all types of human activities It is not possible, but it is possible to identify the main types of activity characteristic of all people. They correspond to general needs and are found in almost all people without exception. There are three types of activity that genetically replace each other and coexist throughout life: .
Within the framework of the active approach, the authors define the concept of “leading activity” - as an activity in which the emergence and formation of basic psychological formations occurs at one or another stage of its development and the foundations are laid for the transition to a new leading activity.
Each age has its own leading activity, which mainly determines the dynamics of development in a given life period.
When a child is born, he immediately gets involved in play activities, then, as he grows up, he gets involved in educational activities, and when he becomes an adult, he begins to play.
These types of human activities differ in final results(product of activity), by organization, by characteristics of motivation.
The game is organized freely and unregulated. It is very difficult to regulate the content of the game, the child’s involvement in it, and the termination of the game. The child usually moves from one game to another on his own.
Study and work proceed in obligatory for a person organizational forms. Work begins at a precisely set time and during it, in accordance with the plan and given productivity, the products of labor are produced. The same picture is observed in teaching. Classes begin according to the schedule, and throughout the lesson the student is engaged in this particular subject.
Various forms of organization of human activities are also associated with their different motivations. The motive of the game is the pleasure that the child experiences from the very process of the game.
The main motive for learning and work is a sense of duty, a sense of responsibility. These higher feelings are no less a powerful stimulus for activity than interest. However, both in learning and in work, a person should be interested in the process of activity itself or in its results.
Various types of activities complement each other, interexist, and interpenetrate.
Game. A game is a type of unproductive activity where the motive lies not in the result of it, but in the process itself. The game accompanies humanity throughout its history. Children begin to play from the moment they are born. As you age, games become more difficult. For children, games have a predominantly developmental value. For adults, play is not a leading activity, but serves as a means of communication and relaxation.
There are several types of games: individual, group, subject, plot, role-playing and games with rules.
Individual games are a type of activity when one person is engaged in a game.
Group games - several individuals are involved in the activity.
Object games are associated with the inclusion of any objects in play activities.
Story games are game activities based on a specific scenario.
Role-playing games are human behavior limited to a specific role that a person takes on in the game.
Games with rules are gaming activities regulated by a certain system of rules of conduct for their participants.
These types of games can be mixed: subject-role-playing, plot-role-playing, plot-based with rules.
At first, the child’s play activity is objective. However, the need to master the system of human relationships and the desire to participate in them lead the growing child to use games with increasing mental content. Children begin to play role-playing and role-playing games, which require them to have significantly greater knowledge about the imaginary objects involved in the game and cause deeper experiences. This is the developmental power of this type of game.
With age, games are replaced by more serious activities and work. However, even here the game does not disappear completely.
Teaching. Teaching is an activity whose purpose is to acquire knowledge, skills and knowledge by a person. Learning can be either organized in special institutions or unorganized and carried out spontaneously, together with other types of activities.
There are two sides: the activity of the teacher and the activity of the student (learning). At school, a child not only adopts a body of knowledge, skills and abilities, but, no less important, he learns to live, understand life in all its complexity and take part in it.
The driving force behind learning is the contradiction between what the child knows and what he wants or needs to know. For example, in infancy, manipulation of objects and toys allows the child to learn to use them in accordance with their intended purpose. The child learns most actions according to a model. In one case, the child sees how adults act and reproduces them himself. In another, adults specifically show the techniques and help them master them. Typically, children’s independent mastery of patterns is much greater than those they master on the initiative and with the help of adults. Here there is a close connection between play and learning, a constant transition of play and learning into each other, and the inclusion of elements of one activity into another.
Learning as a world and play are inextricably linked from the very first days of a child’s life.
Work. Labor occupies a special place in the human system. Labor is an activity aimed at transforming material and intangible objects and adapting them to meet human needs.
Play and learning are only preparation for work and originated from work, since it is work that is the decisive condition for the formation of personality, its abilities, mental, moral qualities, her consciousness. In work, those personal qualities of a person develop that are certainly and constantly manifested by him in the process. Labor develops physical strength: the ability to withstand heavy physical loads, muscle strength, endurance, agility, and mobility.
According to the nature of the main efforts expended, labor activity can be divided into several types:
- physical labor;
- intellectual work;
- spiritual work.
In theory and in practice, labor, in fact, is understood to the greatest extent as physical labor.
Physical labor can be classified as follows:
- self-service work (maintaining home, clothing, workplace, preparing food for yourself, etc.);
- domestic family work;
- productive work.
Self-care work is mastered earlier than others in childhood and accompanies a person throughout his life.
Household family work is longer work, more complex in content and requiring more effort. Often it can only be conditionally separated from self-care work. The main sign of its isolation is the performance of work not for oneself or not only for oneself.
Productive labor is becoming widespread, distinguishing between craft labor (using the simplest machines, tools, equipment) and industrial labor ( highest form productive labor).
Intellectual work. Mental work (and only it) allows a person to know the world and his place in it.
Spiritual work - to this species Labor can also include work on self-improvement, constant self-control, and reflection.
Only in work - physical, intellectual and spiritual - does a person become a person.
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