Content area
Full text
As counselors approach the 21st Century, they must learn and use applications in the school that assist in meeting student needs and developing student potential. Adlerian principles have served as a basis for working in schools since Alfred Adler first introduced them in the early 1900s, and they still have useful applications today. This article explores some applications of Adlerian principles that counselors can use or adapt in their work with students and teachers in the classroom.
Overview
Adler was the first theorist to emphasize the fundamental social nature of people. According to Adler (1927, 1930,1931/1980), people are inherently motivated to engage in social activities, relate to other people, and acquire a style of life that is fundamentally social in nature. Each person is born with the capacity to develop his or her social interest. Social interest is a person's ability to interact in a cooperative way with people that leads to a healthy society. In this way people develop a sense of belonging and tend to contribute to others in the society. While a person is born with social interest, it must be nurtured and developed along the way. How an individual engages and develops this social interest shapes his or her personality. The school then, becomes a primary setting. Counselors and teachers take on the roles of assisting children to acquire and develop a healthy social interest. Based on Adlerian principles, this includes helping children to belong, feel valued, develop positive self-worth, and not feel discouraged.
Personality is also shaped by the choices people make to satisfy their needs. These needs effect a person's behavior because, according to Adlerian principles, all behavior is purposive and goal-directed (Thompson & Rudolph, 1996). Therefore, people act in ways that meet their needs and develop their perception of social interest.
Adler's Model of Humanity
Before elaborating on effective democratic methods and the implications involved, it is necessary to understand Alfred Adler's model of humanity (Adler, 1931/1980; Dreikurs Grunwald, & Pepper, 1982). Each educator's approach to the educational process is based on a concept of human nature. As theorized by Adler and applied by Dreikurs, all behavior is viewed as goaldirected. Some key concepts are defined and summarized as follows:
1. Human beings are social beings and have...