Definition of Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Needs Included Examples – Basically, humans living in this world have a need to maintain their lives. Human needs are basically not exactly the same. The needs of the elderly, adults, teenagers, and children are certainly different.
Because of this, humans always strive to fulfill their needs and never end. These diverse human needs according to their intensity are divided into three types, primary, secondary, and tertiary needs.
The diverse needs of every human being which is still the basis is the need for clothing, food, and board. Along with the development of time and technology, the needs of the community are increasing, resulting in difficulties for the community in determining which are the primary needs and which are the secondary needs for their lives.
In fulfilling the need to be consumed, humans cannot escape from three types of primary, secondary, and tertiary components. consumption classes are divided based on the consumption of three groups of things, namely: groups of raw materials related to the primary production sector in the form of food, drinks, fast food, and others .
Second, a group of basic equipment and technology related to the secondary production sector in the form of means of transportation, clothes, shoes, sandals, bags, accessories, cosmetics, and others. Third, the group of free time related to tertiary production in the form of information and communication items such as smartphones and pleasure seeking such as going to malls, discos, and sports.
A. Definition of Primary Needs
According to the International Labor Organization or ILO ( International Labor Organization ), primary needs are the minimum physical needs of the community, related to the adequacy of the basic needs of every community, both rich and poor.
Examples of Primary Needs
Examples of primary needs include clothing, food, housing, education, and others.
The primary needs of the Female Workforce abroad, for example, are meeting basic needs in the form of financing their children’s education in their hometowns, building a decent house and meeting every need for food and clothing from the income earned while working abroad.
Primary needs consist of clothing, food, and board. Clothing is the first primary need because in society we wear clothes. This need becomes very important. Next is food which is a source of food for humans and is the main need.
Lastly, is the board. Board means house or place of residence. A place to live is a primary need for humans. Not having a place to live means that the primary human needs have not been met. The residence becomes a place of shelter, shelter for the most secure and comfortable family. The three primary human needs become needs that cannot be abandoned. A decent life is about the fulfillment of these primary needs.
B. Definition of Secondary Needs
Secondary needs are the next needs after the primary needs as a complement or addition are fulfilled. These secondary needs are additional or complementary in order to lead a better life. A place to live or a house is a primary need but the location and design of the house is a secondary need.
Human lifestyle is one of the secondary needs. Individual economic ability also differentiates this secondary need. This need is also important for human survival. As human beings who have a culture and live in society, there is a great need for various things that are better in terms of quality, quantity, and type.
The word secondary comes from the Latin “secundus” which means second. For example, someone who has built a house with a good design will automatically need good furniture to fill his house, such as sofas, refrigerators, cabinets, quality kitchen appliances, and other furniture.
Examples of Secondary Needs
Examples of other secondary needs are access to health, education, and entertainment such as watching movies, going to the mall.
Definition of Tertiary Needs
Tertiary needs are needs that some people often call the need for something luxurious. This tertiary need is the need that is fulfilled last. The purpose of fulfilling tertiary needs is for personal pleasure and this need can also be equated with desire because not everyone can fulfill the tertiary needs.
Tertiary needs are complementary to human life whose fulfillment can be avoided. Tertiary needs are prestigious, meaning that people who can meet these needs will be raised in rank or dignity (more respected). Examples of these needs include refrigerators, computers, motorcycles, luxury cars, musical instruments, and others.
Tertiary needs are often referred to as luxury needs because the fulfillment of these needs is aimed at luxury goods. The fulfillment of this need is more in the nature of maintaining a person’s performance in the middle of social life.
The fulfillment of tertiary needs depends on a person’s position and economic strata in society.
Examples of Tertiary Needs
An example of this need is someone who has income and then buys jewelry, bicycles, even luxury cars after the primary and secondary needs are met in order to improve their status in society so that they are not considered a lower class. Examples of tertiary needs include vacations abroad, goods branded items , jewelry, etc.
In fulfilling needs, one will tend to start from the basic needs because it is very important for survival and then continue with other needs, namely secondary and tertiary needs.
At the level of secondary needs, usually a person will increase on further needs that actually have no direct relation to the survival of the person. In the fulfillment of tertiary needs, a person tends to buy luxury items that are not actually a priority or not something important.
In the case of tertiary needs, one tends to waste money on an item that is less useful and one tends to be excessive in buying something or items that are not really important. Behavior like this, buying things that are less useful and excessive is called consumptive behavior.
However, what needs to be known together is that the types of needs above are relative from one person to another. That is, each person has a different view on an item whether the item includes primary, secondary, and tertiary needs for him. For example, smartphones, computers, used to be considered as tertiary goods or luxury goods.
However, nowadays computers and smartphones can be considered as primary needs for some people. This can be seen in community life, almost every home has a smartphone or computer, even more than one.
Along with considering smartphones, computers as a primary need so that everyone tries to meet the needs of the smartphone. However, everyone has their own income and expenses and of course they are different, so some people find it difficult to meet the smartphone.
As an alternative solution, some people to meet these needs purchase smartphones and computers with credit. Although it makes it easier, think about the risk of buying electronic goods with credit.