Belonging
Introduction
DIGGING INTO
THE CONCEPT
Belonging...
 ... is a concept
 ... is shown in texts in a variety of ways.
 ...impacts on our identity & sense of self.
Belonging offers
 Connections to:
Family
Place
Race
Culture
Community
Nation
Many of these
begin at birth.
Patriotism, Nationalism & Culture
Friendship
Texts can explore positive associations with
belonging.
Texts can also explore the problems
connected with not belonging
A sense of Not Belonging can generate negative
feelings of:
 Alienation
 Disaffection
 Estrangement
 Dislocation
 Isolation
 Marginalisation
 Rebellion
Activity 1
 Read the ‘truisms’ about Belonging.
 Are they totally accurate?
 In pairs/small groups, think of examples where they
might not always ring true. Be prepared to share
with the class.
Activity 1 – Truisms
 “People feel fulfilled when they belong.”
 “Belonging is important to everyone.”
 “Not belonging fosters a sense of
unworthiness and loneliness.”
 “Belonging takes time.”
 “When given the choice, people will always
choose to belong.”
Developing a Thesis
 Avoid writing a ‘truism’ about belonging in your
essays.
 A thesis should NOT be a factual statement.
 It should be a personalised observation about
what ‘belonging’ signifies.
 You need to prove your thesis through logical
analysis.
Activity 2 – Harry Harlow Monkey Experiment...
 View the clip on YouTube.
Click here.
 What does this say about ‘belonging’?
Activity 3 – What others say...
 To ‘dig’ into the concept more, let’s look at what
others say about belonging.
 For each quote, write down what you think the
speaker really means.
Quotes on Belonging
“Collective fear stimulates herd instinct, and tends
to produce ferocity toward those who are not
regarded as members of the herd.”
~ Bertrand Russel ~
Quotes on Belonging
“Family traditions counter alienation and confusion.
They help us define who we are; they provide
something steady, reliable and safe in a confusing
world.”
~ Susan Lieberman~
Quotes on Belonging
“In union there is
strength.”
~ Aesop ~
Quotes on Belonging
“Sticks in a bundle are unbreakable.”
~ Kenyan Proverb ~
Quotes on Belonging
“We may have different
religions, different
languages, different
coloured skin, but we all
belong to one human
race.”
~ Kofi Annan ~
Quotes on Belonging
“There are realities we all share, regardless of our
nationality, language or individual tastes. As we
need food, so do we need emotional
nourishment: love, kindness, appreciation, and
support from others. We need to understand our
environment and our relationship to it. We need
to fulfil certain inner hungers: the need for
happiness, for peace of mind – for wisdom.”
~ J. Donald Walters ~
Quotes on Belonging
“Many of us are also nourished by friends,
whom we love as family. We belong not
only to them but also to other loved ones,
to our neighbourhood, our town, our
state, our country and our world.”
~ Peggy O’Mara ~
Quotes on Belonging
“Home...is where I drew
my first breath. It is
where I will always
derive a sense of place
and a sense of
belonging.”
~ Paul Tsongas ~
Quotes on Belonging
“In all cultures, the family imprints
its members with selfhood.
Human experience of identity has
two elements; a sense of
belonging and a sense of being
separate. The laboratory in which
these ingredients are mixed and
dispensed is the family, the matrix
of identity.”
~ Salvador Minuchin ~
Quotes on Belonging
“The conflict between the need to belong to a
group and the need to be seen as unique and
individual is the dominant struggle of
adolescence.”
~ Jeanne Elium ~
Discoveries about Belonging?
After discussing the quotes, what have you
personally learnt or discovered about
belonging?
(Your teacher will ask you to record this.)
Activity 4 – Consequences of Belonging
 Look carefully at the table.
 Fill in the opposing columns.
 Work with a friend or team.
 Be prepared to share with the class & offer examples
to clarify your ideas.
Consequences of Belonging/Not Belonging
Belonging in a
positive sense +
Belonging in a
negative sense -
Not belonging in
a positive sense
+
Independence
Sense of place
Isolation
Co-operation
Selfdetermination
Acceptance /
Inclusion
Seclusion /
Loneliness
Social
pressure
Peer pressure
Autonomy
Sense of
unworthiness
Mob mentality
Uniformity
Not belonging in
a negative sense -
Personal
fulfilment
Consequences of Belonging/Not Belonging
Belonging in a
positive sense +
Belonging in a
negative sense -
Not belonging in
a positive sense
+
Not belonging in
a negative sense -
Sense of place
Conformity
Independence
Alienation
Co-operation
Loss of
freedom
Individualism
Isolation
Acceptance /
Inclusion
Totalitarianis
m
Selfdetermination
Separation /
Estrangement
Family &
community
Social
pressure
Freedom of
expression
Seclusion /
Loneliness
Relationships
Peer pressure
Autonomy
Segregation /
Disengagement
Sense of
security
Mob mentality
Self-assurance
Sense of
unworthiness
Uniformity
Pressures to
conform
Personal
fulfilment
Disillusionmen
t / Confusion
Activity 4 – Share Your Responses
 Have you discovered any other new insights
into ‘Belonging’?
Activity 5 – Exploring the Concept in Texts
Activity 5. a)
Telstra Ad:
“We Are Australian”
 View the advertisement on YouTube.
 Click here.
 Respond to the questions.
Telstra Ad
 Is this an effective ad for Telstra? Why or why not?
 How does it appeal to responders’ emotions?
 What belonging ideas can you identify?
 How were they communicated?
Exploring the Concept in Texts
Activity 5. b)
Radio Excerpt: “Haywire – The Voice of Regional
Youth”
 Listen to the radio excerpt.
 Respond to the questions.
Radio Excerpt
 What positive aspects of belonging are conveyed?
 How much does ‘place’ impact on our sense of
belonging?
 Imagine you were someone who disagreed with the
speaker. Who might you be? Explain your
opposing views.
Exploring the Concept in Texts
Activity 5. c)
 View the presentation.
Click Here
 Respond to the questions.
Video Presentation
 In what ways is our sense of belonging changeable?
 Why are some people marginalised in society?
Exploring the Concept in Texts
Activity 5. d) Dr Marjorie Dixon
 View the monologue.
 Respond to the questions.
Click here
Monologue
 In what ways is our sense of belonging changeable?
 What are the key signifiers of our sense of self?
 In what ways can complex and multi-layered
perceptions of belonging be conveyed?
 Write a thesis statement about this text. What
does it really say about belonging?
(Not a truism or fact.)
Hopefully these ideas came up...
 Belonging is a changing state, rarely fixed or reliable.
Outside forces can seriously impact on the ways
individuals see themselves and their place in society at
large.
 Social identity and roles often determine the extent to
which individuals are included, accepted and valued.
Hopefully these ideas came
up...
 Humanity is driven by a fundamental need to belong but
conformity can be suffocating.
 Self-esteem and personal integrity are vital ingredients
for a positive sense of belonging on both the individual
and social level.
 The development of a sense of belonging to people,
place and things often involves overcoming both
internal and external conflict which ironically, can result
in healing, growth and enlightenment.
Hopefully these ideas came up...
 Companionship and shared values and commitments
can be pivotal in the transformation process.
 Belonging texts often work as bildungsroman texts,
which chart a process of self-reflection and growing selfknowledge and the enlightenment that can flow from it.
Hopefully these ideas came up...
 Migrants or ‘outsiders’
often experience alienation
and displacement in their
struggle to adapt and
adjust to new
surroundings, language or
tradition. Marginalised
groups can struggle to gain
social acceptance.
Hopefully these ideas came up...
Conflict and the
juxtaposition between
inclusion/exclusion,
harmony/disharmony and
positive/negative elements
are used to stress the
fundamental importance of
social relationships and
feeling included.