Imagined Communities Essay

Belonging means different things to different people. The most common definition is feeling a sense of connectedness to a person, place or thing. Understanding nourishes belonging while a lack of understanding can prevent people from belonging. This is shown through Peter Skrzynecki’s poem ‘Migrant hostel’ which is about the challenges faced by travelers on their journey, and the hardships they have to overcome by exchanging their old world for the unfamiliar and unwelcoming new world in which they don’t understand anything. Skrzynecki’s poem ‘Feliks Skryznecki’ explores a relationship between father and son, and their contrasting experiences of belonging to a new place. The related text, ‘The Red Tree,’ by Shaun Tan also shows that a lack

A fundamental part of human existence and interaction is the notion of belonging or identifying with a group. Groups form and exist for various reasons and purposes, comprising of individuals similar or diverse in nature, that often work together toward a common goal (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2014). In 1902, the American sociologist by the name of C. H. Cooley, made distinction between primary and secondary groups. Cooley (1902) classified primary group to have intimate and comparatively permanent associations as one might find in a cohort of close friends, or a family. The groups or associations in which individuals related to each other through formal and often legalistic rules, were classified as secondary groups (Nolen, 2010).

It is a well-known fact that belonging to a group can make an individual feel not only accepted, but more powerful that if they were on their own. Whether it is a community, youth group or even religion, belonging is an everyday occurrence of like that many of us do not even realise. Belonging to a group is more influential than belonging to an individual. We can see this in the texts The Crucible by Arthur Miller, 1984 by George Orwell and the listening task. Belonging to a group can give you a feeling of acceptance, but also can help you not to be targeted or marginalised. Also, people who appear to belong to groups, when looked at closer, in truth do not belong. Belonging to a group can also give you more power as a

Also in Bryant Simon essay “Global Brands Contend with Appreciation for the Local” Simon argues that “global brands will erode national, regional and neighborhood distinctiveness.”(368) Ariela Garvett talks about internet democracy and social media and its potential. She focuses on the potential of worldwide social media and the amount of group power it can give.In Garvett essay “Tweets and Transitions: How the Arab Spring Reaffirms the Internet’s Democratizing Potential” she writes, “The Internet demonstrates the possibilities of change

Write down the website. Give a brief description of the relevance of this site to your study

What is a community? A community is a group of people who care about each other. In “The Outsiders” the greasers have a special kind of community. In fact I wouldn't call it a community, they are more of a family.

Explore how this is evident in you prescribed text and at least ONE other related text of your own choosing.

“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.

What do you think about your neighbours? How do you feel about your schools? What do you think about your community? Community has always been a big part of our lives and it has been here since the day we were born. We might even live on the same street, but we grow up in different households and this results in many different views on communities. The many definitions of our community may include our home, our heritage, and even our religion.

‘An individual’s interaction with others and the world around them can enrich or limit their experience of belonging.” Discuss this view with detailed reference ( 2010 HSC Question)

For over the few past decades the world has witnessed a growing gap between economic classes of a community. This clear division between rich and poor has led to major discrimination in all sorts of daily life interaction, from public transportation to housing, education, work and many more. However today a new form of social and cultural discrimination is being added to the list: the gated high fenced walls communities. These communities are physically and socially excluded from the public, creating a barrier within a larger community. Gated communities are an extreme form of housing boundaries, they are an enclosed residential subdivision, privately operated. Their access

" 'But I don't want comfort. I want God, I want poetry, I want real danger, I want freedom, I want goodness, I want sin' "(Huxley 215). In Brave New World people lives were different and they had different believes they were not allowed to feel emotion because as the Director said emotions are unstable. They were conditioned to think the way their world is formed is perfect, but actually it isn't. Emotions could be unstable, but is better to feel them instead of being an inhumane person that doesn't feel anything. People have to paid a price that they didn't choose and that is unjust for them because they have to take what is giving to them.

The need to belong in an integral part of the human psyche. All people, on some level, desire to feel a sense of belonging that will emerge from the connections made with people, places, groups, communities and the larger world. Belonging cannot be achieved without an understanding of oneself and their surroundings.

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

Community is very important and has many factors like kinship, unity, and identity. Community helps society because it creates solutions, provides security and reveals dedication. It discovers truthfulness. Communities are part of everyday life and have positive affects on its members.