Successful is called an active person, activist, creator. Moreover, he can engage in one type of activity or several, the main of which is labor. It was he who organized primitive people into society and since then has provided them with everything necessary. But to work, you need to act a lot and varied.
Action as an element of activity
The word "element" is often associated with something small, insignificant. But if we consider that everything consists of interconnected particles, then the significance of each of them in the general structure of the object becomes obvious. An unequal replacement, rearrangement, loss of one element can lead to a change in the properties and qualities of the subject as a whole (not always for the better).
Any work - productive or unproductive - consists of a series of single actions arranged in a certain sequence. To get the intended result, a person must act systematically, rationally, using the necessary tools, devices, materials, etc. That is, such elementary parts of an activity as actions determine its success if their selection is correct and the sequence is logical. Randomness, redundancy or their insufficiency is the reason for useless work, whatever it may be.
What is human activity
Like many representatives of the animal kingdom, man is a doer. He is able to change, improve his own living environment and conditions of his life as a result of labor, his inherent transformative attitude to the environment.
In nature, there is no such object (living or non-living) as “activity”: it cannot be drawn or photographed. However, the activity and the person do not exist separately.
Visible conscious changes in living conditions - one of its results, it is productive. The other is internal changes, self-improvement. Man, while working, discovered, cognized and invented new ways of developing his own mental, physiological, and mental processes. That is, being an active subject, he has the object of his transformations not only the whole world, but also himself, his own society.
Motives and activities
What makes people act? This is a motive, reason, the need to satisfy some kind of own need (physiological, spiritual, social), pushing a person to active actions. They are formed under the influence of education, social relations, culture, customs.
What does an individual do during his life? Game, study, work - these are the main types of his activities. They are mastered gradually, as it develops psychophysiologically. One of the species becomes predominant, which satisfies the basic needs of a person and corresponds to his capabilities. So the game, being the main type of activity for the child, is replaced by the educational (school, vocational education), and then labor.
Peculiar types of human activity are creativity and communication.
The result of creativity is new in science, art, production of material values. The desire for communication is explained by the need of a person to satisfy both material and spiritual needs.
Classification of actions (psychology)
Any type of activity is possible with the sequential implementation of specific actions. Psychology names four of their types:
Types of actions | Description, examples |
Instinctive | That is, genetic, unconscious. For example, during a fire, the mother rushes to save the child, despite the mortal threat to herself (maternal instinct). Instinct can cause actions of a conscious nature - the same mother is looking for optimal means and ways of salvation from the fire |
Reflex | Unconscious reactions to irritants: rubbing a sore spot, coughing in a smoky room |
Impulsive | a) An unconscious reaction to surprises of any nature: the exclamation “Wow!” is characteristic of a frightened person and of an unexpectedly happy one. b) Partially conscious impulsive actions: a person frightened during an attack takes defensive measures |
Strong-willed | Basic, informed actions. For example, trained in working with a book, a student correctly builds a chain of his actions: carefully read the text several times, highlight the main topic, the characters in action, give them a characterization, etc. |
For a person, the main types of actions are volitional. A well-mannered person knows how to subordinate instincts to his will and act reasonably enough in critical situations when an excess of emotions can partially or completely disable rational thinking.
Sociology: classification of actions according to M. Weber
A person daily produces so-called social actions that have the goal of influencing other people in one way or another.
According to the classification of M. Weber (sociologist, 1865-1920, Germany), there are such types of actions:
- Celestial, that is, having a practical purpose and thoughtful means of achieving it. Such actions are organized, for example, by a doctor in the treatment of a patient, providing what complications may arise, which means of treatment and prophylaxis should be used.
- Value-rational actions are caused by moral and ethical attitudes of the personality. The actions of many heroes of the Second World War are dictated by feelings of patriotism, a duty to protect the Fatherland.
- Affective - are caused by strong feelings (fear, love). For example, a young man jumps off a cliff to prove his feelings to a girl.
- Traditional actions are repeated in similar situations when customs should be followed (funerals, weddings, heroes, organizing and holding holidays).
According to Weber, human actions are dictated by his personal motives and his expectation of the reaction of others (approval, condemnation).
Act as a form of action
In actions, as in a mirror, the moral essence of a person is reflected, since they are dictated by a conscious choice between “good” and “bad”. This form of action is a component of behavior that conforms to or does not correspond to the rules and norms accepted in society.
Any action has its purpose and implementation plan, dictated by the intentions of man. Not always its consequences coincide with the expected ones, and it is characterized as thoughtless, frivolous.
The act may be expressed:
- directly in physical action (pick up the fallen object and give it to the person who dropped it);
- verbal (support in word, approve or condemn someone);
- in a demonstration of the attitude to events, to other persons, to their actions, words (irony, gesture, body movements, eyes);
- inaction (failure to comply with the order of the boss, failure to provide assistance to the distressed).
An act is inevitably evaluated from the outside in accordance with moral standards accepted in the society (or group). Even theft, for example, can be approved in an asocial environment, as a sign of dexterity and fearlessness.
For any activity, for his actions, a person will certainly bear responsibility, even if its perspective seems unclear or distant.
Types of actions in educational activities
Each generation is forced to master the experience, knowledge, skills that have gone with the previous one, that is, it must learn. With the development of science and technology, with the updating of social processes, the content, forms, teaching methods are changing, new types of educational actions appear.
In modern society, solid general and special education is very much appreciated. For man it is an open door to the most interesting world of professionals, and society is guaranteed the emergence of highly qualified and creative personnel capable of leading him on the road to progress.
The educational activities and types of actions of teachers and students differ, because their functions vary: the former give knowledge, and the latter receive. The teacher, teacher, parents, lecturer teach, that is, they are active subjects of this process. The objects of study - pupils, students, students of various courses - learn the concepts and types of actions (mental, practical) given to them.
Education is a complex, long-term process that requires not only high-quality training, but also the gradual and conscious mastery of educational activities, information skills.
The solution of cognitive tasks is certainly accompanied by the development of personal qualities of students. That is, by the end of the training, they should have mastered to a sufficient extent actions aimed at self-education, self-development, the establishment of communicative ties and the determination of their place in society. A detailed list of them is presented in GEF.
Legal and non-legal actions
The activities of law enforcement agencies are aimed at protecting the rights of citizens in accordance with the legislation adopted in the country.
The types of legal actions are determined for various reasons. For example, according to the law, they can be divided into the following groups:
- legitimate, that is, relevant to the rule of law: buying or selling real estate, going to court to protect their interests, etc .;
- illegal, contrary to law: various crimes, intentional and unintentional misconduct.
Not only lawyers are involved in legal actions, but also employees of other areas of activity. For example, to assure the fact that a business person has arrived at the enterprise, it is not necessary to go to the justice authorities: this will be done in the personnel department. Or: the issue of a marriage certificate is issued at the place of registration at the registry office.