Belonging refers to a feeling of familiarity between people.
• Mental comfort
Who do you belong to? What do you belong to?
I belong to people who I share a deeper connection with i.e. family.
How do you know?
I can sense the feeling of familiarity and comfort.
How do you know when you do not belong?
You do not belong when you are feeling excluded or experiencing insecurities.
Extrinsic- A more external emotional feeling of belonging, as opposed to intrinsic
Intrinsic- An internal/more emotional feeling of belonging
The need to belong
Psychological- belonging means being welcomed as part of a group. Humans are gregarious by nature. Living in solitude is preferable sometimes but usually people need company and acceptance from others to be content.
Emotional- it is important to have support and share common goals and needs. From a group the individual can test ideas, gain new experience and understanding. It is important not to feel excluded.
Cultural- to be a part of specific group socially, historically, ethnically. An individual’s identity can be determined in part from the cultural group he/she identifies with.
Identity- this is determined by perceptions. How you perceive yourself or expect others to perceive you. This can ‘colour’ how well you belong or assimilate with another group.
Identity
This includes:
• A sense of continuity
• A sense of uniqueness
• A sense of affiliation
According to Maslow (1943), belonging is a basic need after health and safety and before self-esteem.
The cost of belonging
Most people have a hierarchy of belonging that they will use when there is a conflict of interest between the various groups to which they belong.
Can you challenge belonging?
There are many groups one can belong to – too many. Provided your needs/interests are similar enough and you can afford it there may not be a problem. But money and time is limited.
• The threat of