Belonging Places

Finding a sense of belonging to a place can influence an individual’s sense of acceptance within the community and culture or opposingly can enhance their sense of isolation and alienation from society.This is reflected through Raimond Gaita’s memoir Romulus My Father and Manfred Jurgensen’s poem Bonegilla 1916 through extensive literary devices.We learn individuals perceptions of place and their ability to adjust to new places governs their ability to belong and feel at home with new cultures.

Belonging is defined as fitting in to a particular environment or having the right personal or social qualities to be a member of a particular group. Our belonging to or connections with people, places and groups allows one to develop a distinct identity characterised by affiliation, acceptance and association. To gain a full understanding of belonging, it is essential to experience some significant moments in time as it shapes and develops our understanding of belonging. This is captured in the poems of Peter Skrzynecki’s,

Starting as children, people are inclined to strive to be socially accepted. With social standards being very difficult to fit into, many people feel as though they do not belong to a set group of people; therefore, they tend to have a lower self esteem which causes them to act out. Being isolated causes one to feel a lack of confidence within themselves because him or her can feel as though they are not wanted and do not belong. This low sense of self esteem affects a person’s motivation and mental health. Social norms can cause people to feel alone and as though they have no one there for them. On the other hand, belonging to a community or a specific group can allow people to feel as though they have a support system, making them feel more confident in themselves and becoming better in their overall life. Feeling accepted and supported by people can increase intellectual activity and boost a person’s self esteem tremendously. Belonging and acceptance increase and decrease self esteem thus dictating a person’s behavior.

Belonging is a part of human nature, ever since birth humans try to belong with someone or something. Belonging creates a sense of happiness and love that is unique. Not belonging “causes various undesirable

Belonging is as a complex process by which people develop links with others, places and things. It is focused on acceptance and developing a connection and identity

Explore how perceptions of belonging and not belonging can be influenced by connections to places.

“We belong … like fish in water. We’re in our environment.” This quote from the New York Times shows the perception of belonging as the idea about connecting to a place, person, group or a community. 'Feliks Skrzynecki' by Peter Skrzynecki, 'I'm nobody! Who are you?' by Emily Dickinson and 'The Rabbits' by John Marsden & Shaun Tan show the concept of belonging as being contrasted towards the New York Times quote, showing the alienation and non-existent connection towards it. These texts have furthered my understanding on the perceptions of belonging by recognising the different concepts of connection to people, places and things.

Belonging is the complex process whereby perceptions of self and social allegiances are forged or not forget. It is a concept and not a theme, meaning it is a general idea, which encompasses the idea of not belonging. According to Abraham Maslow, belonging is essential in human development and not belonging is a barrier in achieving self-actualisation. The concept of Belonging is not static as it may change overtime for a number of different reasons such as an individual’s socio-economic background, geographic location and many other barriers. Although individuals may not belong to self, people, places, communities or the larger

Belonging is not always a good thing. What disadvantages are there for individuals and society in belonging? Refer to set text and one other related text.

Belonging is defined as to be apart of something where you feel accepted, the opposite being the feeling of detachment and exclusion. The Red Tree by Shaun Tan explores the concept of belonging or not belonging in the way that depression affects the characters ability to find acceptance within her society and how she finds her own concept of belonging opposed to what she has been told. Similarly, in Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miler where the character Biff is trying to acceptance within his family.

Having and needing a sense of belonging is a facet of human nature. In this context, belonging refers to the acceptance of an individual as a member or a part (Hall 1). In Perry Moore’s Hero, Thom is faced with many barriers to attaining a sense of belonging with nearly every group that he encounters. His largest barrier would be the fact that he is homosexual in a world that seemingly doesn’t accept homosexuality. In Alan Moore’s

Belonging is the ability to feel wanted and included in a group, team or with other people. It is imperative that the younger generation understand the concept of belonging as it will help them find themselves as they grow. Personally, I had difficulty finding friends that I felt comfortable with in primary school. However, after entering high school and finding an amazing group of people who accept and understand me, both my emotional and mental well-being has improved greatly. Belonging is a vital component to have to ensure a positive well-being.

And that is what I want to share with you; the cultural value of belonging, or the reverse... not belonging. This is well illustrated in Australian poetry through poets like Bruce Dawe and Oodgeroo Noonuccal. Coming from very different backgrounds, they realised

People have a great attachment to the place where they live since it has social and cultural benefits in their life. Developing place attachment to one's home and local area is beneficial. It has been linked with many positive health and com-munity participation outcomes. People with higher place attachment have greater social and political involvement in their communities (Mesh &Manor, 1998).

The struggle to belong and find one’s place is significant in the lives of some people.