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VALUES FORMATION

OBJECTIVES:

1. Define what value is;

2. What is values formation?;
3. What is the importance for values?;
4. Can values be taught?;
5. Are values subjective or objective?;
6. Are values permanent or changeable?;
7. Filipino values in a public service setting.

1. Define what value is;

A person's principles or standards of behavior; one's judgment of what is important in

life.

Generally values means moral ideas, general conceptions or orientation towards the
world or simple interests, attitudes, principles, needs and dispositions. However,
sociologists use this term in a more precise sense which has the connotations of
rightness goodness or inherent desirability.

Values define what is worthwhile. Sometimes, values have been interpreted to mean
the standards by which the ends of action are selected. It is a collective conception of
what is considered good, desirable, and proper or bad and undesirable and improper
in a culture.

According to M. Haralambos (2000), "a value is a belief that something is good and
desirable". For. K. Mukerjee (1949) "values are socially approved desires and goals
that are internalized through the process of conditioning, learning or socialization and
that becomes objective preferences, standards and aspirations." A value is a shared
idea about how something is rank in terms of desirability worth or goodness.

Examples of values that are useful in public service are honesty, loyalty,
independence, integrity, camaraderie, and passion.

2. What is values formation?

Value formation is the union of our personal experiences, traditions and the
culture we are entwined in. Values are imposed from our family in childhood and
reinforced through culture and life experiences. For example, honesty is honed by
our parent’s ever since childhood and loyalty is something we learn in school once
we start creating any sort of relationship with people around us.

One’s culture plays a huge role in one’s value formation. It gives people a community
of shared reality, that enables us to cooperate in activities and customs that gives
meaningful purpose and significance to our existence

The main functions of values are as follows:

1. It is essential in the integration and fulfillment of man's impulses and desires in a

stable and consistent approach that is suitable for one’s way of life;
2. These are generic experiences through social interactions made up of individual
responses and attitudes
3. They build up societies and integrate social relations
4. Values mold the ideal dimensions of personality and range and depth culture
5. They influence people’s behavior and serve as a criteria for evaluating the actions
of others
6. They have a great role to play conduct of social life
7. They help in creating norms to guide dated behavior

TYPES OF VALUES

Values can be classified into two broad categories, first, that of human personality or
individual norms of recognition and protection of the human personality, examples
are loyalty, veracity and honor. Second, collective values connected with the
solidarity of the community or collective norms of equality, justice, solidarity and
sociable nests.

3. What is the importance of values?

Values greatly influences ones thoughts, actions and beliefs. They help one to be
authentic and conduct themselves properly in different social settings. While one may
not always be aware of their values, knowing what they believe in and how it can
help in making decisions that is most suitable to ones values.

Knowing what your values are can also help you find job opportunities that align with
your deeply held beliefs and can help you feel more confident in doing a task.
Understanding more about your values can help you become more prepared to make
decisions for yourself and inspire you to become the person you'd like to be as you
begin your career.

Values can improve your problem-solving and decision-making skills

Understanding the things you value most has the potential to help you better handle
stressful situations that can sometimes impair your ability to solve problems and
make decisions. When you're in a challenging situation, consider how you can use
your values to make a choice.

Values can help you realize what's most important

By identifying a few of your most important values, you can better focus on what
matters most to you and remove the things in your life that aren't as meaningful to
you or don't really depict who you are and what you want to become. To identify what
these things are, you can pay extra attention to the choices you make every day and
take notes of the things that are most important to you. As you begin to understand
your values better, you may find that your time becomes more meaningful.

Values can help you increase your self-confidence

Self-confidence helps to prepare you to perform your best at job interviews and in the
workplace after earning the position. When you understand who you are and what
you believe, you can gain more self-confidence because you're more likely to make
the right decisions. Having self-confidence can enhance your ability to solve complex
problems, overcome obstacles others may present to you either during an interview
or at work. It can also help you communicate with others around you in a more
natural way, including peers, colleagues and supervisors.

4. Can values be taught?

Yes. As a matter of fact, values should be instilled from childhood in order for them to
become strong habits. When values become habits; only then that they become a
part of one’s character and personality. From childhood, Teachers and parents are
the role models we look up to; they need to exhibit good values so that they may
transmit them to others, especially their students or children. We need values for
success in every stage and walk of life. If we lie; cheat or use dirty techniques like
nepotism in academics or professional life; then surely we need to rethink our
learned values and unlearn them in order to instill new ones that will result to fairness
and maintenance of one’s integrity, especially when it comes to one’s career or
passion.

5. Are values subjective or objective?

In this question, we have 2 views:

First, value Is Objective.

The objectivist believes that value is a property of the object itself, independent of
any particular subject's judgment thereof and a subjective judgment of the object's
value is correct only to the extent that it corresponds with the true objective value of
the object at the particular place and time of judgment. An object may have value
whether or not a subject even considers it. That objectivist belief is non-normative in
the sense that it does not say whether any particular object or class of objects is
good or bad, right or wrong. But the objectivist usually has normative beliefs as well,
beliefs about what is good or bad, right or wrong.

Second, value Is Subjective.

The subjectivist believes that value is not a property of the object itself, but is merely
assigned or imputed to the object by the judgment of the subject. A subject could be
wrong about the value of the object, but that would not be because he was not in
agreement with some value property of the object, which does not exist. An object
has no value, positive or negative, unless a subject bestows value on it by her
judgment.

6. Are values permanent or changeable?

We all have values. They are the qualities and ideas that help guide our behavior and
define who we are. Our values come from our beliefs, and are formed by various
means.

Yes they change –

1. Over time, repeated positive engagement of values is likely to strengthen them.
Our lives provide continual opportunities for the growth of certain values. Our lives
also sometimes put constraints on certain values.
2. New knowledge about existing problems or techniques and completely new areas
of work has also led to change in values.
3. Core values also exists. However even those are changing at least in the intensity.
4. We often see resistance to change of values from older generations.
5. Large-scale, widespread changes in values have been observed across the world
at different times and have been attributed to different factors like - education, the
rising use of new technologies, political discourse that stresses universalism,
benevolence values, social justice, equality, peace, environmentalism, etc.

No they do not –

1. Values as such do not change. Only their expression changes depending on

circumstances and situations.
2. We can find values like peace, kindness, hard work, perseverance, etc. still
relevant to the same degree as from age old times.
3. Values are essential to build ourselves. We build ourselves to survive in the world
and create a society. Since values needed to build a good society are constant or
similar, values can be said to be constant, similar or universal as each of us tries to
build a good society.
4. “Open your arms to change but don't let go of your values.” - The 14th Dalai Lama.

Conclusion
The conclusion is that values can and do change, though certain core values may be
unaltered over a long period of time. These core values can be called as primarily
values and the changing ones secondary values. The changes which occur in
secondary values are due to changes in knowledge, changes in social and cultural
values and norms, and changes arising through an individual’s personal experience
of life.

7. Filipino values in a public service setting; Here are some of the common
traits and values the country is known for:

Family Oriented service

Filipinos are known to have strong family ties. The family is at the center of the
Filipino community. This value is exhibited in privileges given in public service such
as priority for senior citizens, treating constituents as relatives and people we care
about, especially in a local government setting where communities are familiar with
each other. This value that most Filipinos put into caring for one’s family can also be
seen as one of the reasons why medical care staff from the country provide their
patients and clients with a high level of care.

Humor and positivity

Optimism, humor, and positivity are valued traits in the Philippines. This is exhibited
in the way public government employees conduct their services. Most of the time we
hear the common misconception that public government employees are “masusungit”
or “mataray”, however this must not be the case. Philippines is known for still smiling
amidst tragedies, thus, we must exhibit the same in engaging with clients and the
ones that are needing our services. We must also keep in mind that most people who
engage public service are those that are not affluent in life, in order for them to feel
valued.

Flexibility and adaptability

The term bahala na, which can be translated to “whatever happens, happens,” is one
of the more familiar phrases used in the country. It is perhaps the most
representative of how Filipinos value adaptability and quick thinking. The expression
exemplifies one’s belief in a higher power and submitting one’s fate to elements that
cannot be controlled. In an office setting, we are used to a system to follow, standard
operation procedures for every situation thrown at us however, being practical and
spontaneous cannot be avoided in decision-making specially in contingency
planning. The term is ironic but contingencies are quite common especially in public
service where the dynamics are always changing. The right amount of “bahala
na” shall serves as a sort of positive affirmation which allows public employees to
deal with a situation at hand that did not come with a manual or a standard operating
procedure. However, it should not be a form of fatalistic submission or a way to
absolve one from the responsibility of their actions.

Faith and religion

Spirituality is deeply embedded in Filipino culture. A form of animism was already

being practiced in many pre-colonial societies, and Islam had been firmly established
in the southern islands even before the pre-Hispanic era. Up to this day, religion still
plays a big part in society and the everyday lives of Filipinos. The Catholic Church’s
views still affect the passing of some laws, even decision making of public
government officials in religion sensitive topics and many regular non-working
national holidays are dedicated to celebrating various religious activities and events.
To many Filipinos, religion helps shape their values and principles.

Filipino hospitality
Filipinos are naturally hospitable. It’s a value practiced over generations and
generations and is even practiced even in work setting where the phrase “customers
are always right” is given high regard and is always practiced especially in private
companies and industries.

References:

https://www.thedispatch.in/can-values-be-taught/
https://classes.engr.oregonstate.edu/mime/spring2019/ie380/value.pdf (The Nature
of Value: Objective Or Subjective? Absolute Or Relative?, April 17, 2015)
https://www.careerride.com/view/values-do-they-change-with-time-or-they-are-
eternal universal-25472.aspx (Values - Do they change with time or they are eternal
& universal?, 09/23/15)
https://theintactone.com/2019/05/30/becsr-u1-topic-1-concept-of-values-types-and-
formation-of
values/#:~:text=Value%20formation%20is%20the%20confluence,and%20reinforced
%20throughout%20early%20childhood.
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/interviewing/importance-of-
values#:~:text=What%20is%20the%20importance%20of,specific%20to%20a
%20single%20situation.