INTELLECTUAL
The Intellectual spoke involves two task areas:
Learning and Thinking
Skills. Learning skills focus on styles and
strategies for learning which include effective verbal
and written communication. Thinking skills focus on ways
to discover and evaluate information. This task also
includes analyzing complex problems to arrive at
practical and creative solutions. The purpose of these
tasks is to encourage academic success and excitement in
becoming a self-directed learner. Intellectual
development means that there is a curiousity about the
world and how knowledge can improve the quality of
life.
LIFE
PLANNING
The Life Planning spoke involves two task areas:
Career and Lifestyle
Choices. The career task involves decisions
regarding education, major field, and occupational
alternatives which are realistically connected to
abilities, opportunities, and dual-career family issues.
The lifestyle task is concerned with the important
relationship between personal life and work life values.
It includes using leisure time to participate in campus
activities and selecting academic electives which will
add richness to the life experience. The person who is
well-developed in this dimension recognizes the benefits
of study, work, and play and balances them
effectively.
SOCIAL
The Social spoke involves two task areas:
Friendships and
Intimacy. The friendship task includes a
variety of situations from meeting strangers comfortably
to developing a social network that is fun and
supportive. It includes the ability to be spontaneous and
warm in social interactions. Development in this
dimension involves respecting the rights of others. The
intimacy task involves deeper level relationships where
trust and loyalty are important qualities. In social
intimacy there is respect for the need to be alone or be
with a crowd. It involves communication without speaking.
While intimacy strives for harmony in relatioinships, it
recognizes that disagreements are inevitable and need not
disrupt friendships.
PHYSICAL
The Physical spoke involves three task areas:
Nutrition, Exercise and Rest,
and Health Care. The nutrition task focuses on
food knowledge and behavior that is enjoyable and reduces
the risk of disease. It is also concerned with avoiding
the dangers of tobacco, alcohol, and substance abuse.
Balancing rest and exercise are important factors in
developing strength and endurance. Being physically
healthy means that health care principles are practiced
to ensure that the body is functioning at an optimum
level. It also involves the appropriate use of health
care systems and facilities. A consistently high level of
physical energy is one indication of physical
well-being.
EMOTIONAL
The Emotional spoke involves two task areas:
Expression of Feeling and
Emotional Autonomy. Emotional development
begins with a self-evaluation regarding four basic
emotions: fear (anxiety), anger (frustration), depression
(sadness), and joy (celebration). The
expression-of-feeling task involves sensitivity and skill
in expressing these emotions appropriately. The task of
emotional autonomy is building a sense of confidence that
one does not need continual reassurance, affection, and
approval. There is also an increased willingness to risk
loss of friends and status if there are compelling
principles or interests. Dealing with stress and creating
psychological energy are important aspects of emotional
development.
SEXUAL
The Sexual spoke involves three task areas:
Appearance, Gender, and
Sexuality. This dimension is a key to identity
development for young adults. The appearance task
includes learning to improve physical appearance as a
primary way to build self-acceptance and self-esteem. The
gender task focuses on personal competence and potential.
It replaces power-oriented assumptions about men and
women with behavior that is supportive of the opposite
sex in work and social settings. Mature sexuality looks
beyond media images and stereotypes to include inner
qualities and beauty. It also involves intimate
relationships where behavior is responsible at both the
emotional and physical level.
CULTURAL
The Cultural spoke involves two distinct but related
task areas: Aesthetics and
Tolerance. The aesthetic task includes
enjoyment of a wide variety of experiences in the liberal
and performing arts. Involvement can be in appreciating
creative works or performing them. Development in this
dimension results in an awareness of the unique
relationship between the arts and cultures. The tolerance
task also requires the ability to suspend judgment while
learning to understand differences of all types.
Acceptance of individuals with a diversity of lifestyles,
religion, and ethnic backgrounds is essential.
SPIRITUAL
The Spiritual spoke involves two task areas:
Values Development and
Behavioral Integrity. The heart of this
dimension is the search for "meaning in life". Values
development ranges from simple questions of right and
wrong to complex questions of life and death. It involves
moving from rules and traditions to a set of principles
which guide personal behavior and learning to make
important ethical and moral decisions. Sorting out
important basic values can take place in either a
philosophical or religious setting. Behavioral integrity
means that there is an increasing consistency between
beliefs and action. Finding peace and joy in daily
activities and a confident view of the future are
hallmarks of this dimension.
POLITICAL
The Political spoke involves two task areas:
Learning the System and
Leadership. This dimension begins with a basic
understanding of personal rights and responsibilities at
both the local and national level. Learning the system
requires a practical knowledge of legal and legislative
systems. It also includes learning to successfully
negotiate organizational values and procedures without
becoming cynical. Leadership and service are the ultimate
expression of being aware of current events and empowered
enough to help solve problems in the community. Political
development is a recognitioin that interdependence is a
necessary value in modern society.
