Community, The Structure of Belonging, Peter Block

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).

Michael Ignatieff, a Practice of Human Rights Professor, observed a key characteristic in how humans relate and bond with one another: intuition shared within groups that helps set rules and regulations, ultimately setting them apart. His observation calls into question the connection between these unspoken rules, and the sense of belonging felt by group members. With his observations in mind, it is natural to assume that unspoken rules and belonging coincide because they define a group by giving them an image and general understanding of each other.

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

-Essay: 1300- 1500 words. ‘A sense of belonging is never permanent.’ Discuss in relation to TWO poems and TWO pieces of related texts.

- Take advantage of participation by inviting members to give input and discussion early on.

Members of each group should take turns in asking the questions and each person can only ask once for each round.

" 22 percent of those students landed in the top 25 percent of their graduating class, while only about 5 percent of black students who didn't participate in the exercise did that well." --> those who were not part of the exercise, were in the "bottom 25 percent of their class."

From multiple authors it has been said that the tension between individualism and community is central to an understanding of modernity. I personally agree with this statement for the fact of; modernity seems to only come about when the community begins to separate themselves into their own individuals. It’s easy to say that the individual is central to all progress that was made in not only the Americas but in other countries as well. Authors like Gordon Woods, Eric Hobsbawm, Howard Zinn, and Mary Beth Norton have all discussed how the modern world came to be about after the American Revolution took place; however each has their own personal ideas on the importance of the community, the individual, and what equality means at this time.

Belonging is an essential part of human life that is not always just a connection to a place; it is a feeling of being at home within yourself and having the patience to discover who you are. Being at home within yourself is a process that is not instantaneous and this is evident in the film Ten Canoes and the poem ‘Digging’. Through characters and text specific techniques, the film and poem portray processes of how developing an understanding of group dynamics and relationships allows one to gain a sense of personal belonging, deeper than merely a connection to a place.

In the US and in most countries, communities are more than just houses, departments, grocery stores and shops. Communities are formed by its civilians to facilitate their way of life and to also be a team instead of just single individuals. These communities are formed by the people living in that area and the values they share. Kekes (1993) defines values as ‘humanly caused benefits that human beings provide to others…’. Kekes and kane also states that they espouse values such as empowerment and caring , not just because they lead towards good or better society but also because they have merit on their own (kane, 1994: Kekes, 1993) CP, p54.

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.

In a world that pressures for conformity, one of the greatest challenges we all face is to be ourselves. We not only want to belong, we need to belong, and so we are at our best when we feel connected to those around us. We like to be appreciated, enjoy admiration and crave to feel significant to those around us. Too often though, in our quest to feel significant, we forfeit expressing our individuality and limit our vulnerability. In the process we lose touch with what makes us special, disconnect from authenticity and give up what makes us someone who others feel they can really connect to. All people balance the need to conform and fit in with the need to express their individuality throughout their lives. The want to belong has the

Tell individuals that in the cue Up, they will have a chance to learn things about one another they may never think to ask.

The sense of belonging and interpersonal connectivity is a widely researched topic in psychology, but controversies have been surrounding it among different researchers (Ma, 2003). Also, it has been defined in various ways . According to Vallerand, sense of belonging has to do with the feeling of connectivity with others in the same environment, often involving identifying oneself with a particular group. When the sense of belonging is deeply rooted within a group, one feels accepted, loved and respected in self- image, personally and what they believe in (Booker, 2004; Goodenow, 1993). Baumeister and Leary (1995) acknowledged that sense of belonging has two features: contact and interactions at regular basis and the context of love and care. Baumeister and Leary said that “human beings have a pervasive drive to form and maintain at least a minimum quantity of lasting, positive, and significant interpersonal relationships” (Baumeister & Leary, 1995, p. 497). The sense of belonging has a lasting effect on one’s personality in respect with emotions and other cognitive processes (Baumeister & Leary, 1995). When the sense of belonging is at its lowest, students are prone to being engulfed by solitary thoughts, feel lonely and lose interest in many social interaction opportunities (Goodenow, 1993). This in turn is attributed to dwindling academic performance, as the students don’t feel accepted and motivated within the social parameters around them (Goodenow, 1993). Considerable

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