Humans' Need to Belong

‘An individual’s interaction with others and the world around them can enrich or limit their experience of belonging.’ This statement can be readily depicted through various texts which include Raimond Gaita’s memoir, Romulus My Father and Universal Studio’s 2004 film, Hating Alison Ashley. Both of these texts involve various techniques that assist in portraying the concept of belonging to both an environment and to relationships. Belonging is a concept that is more complex than it first appears. It may be experienced on many levels between belonging and not belonging, be it to a family, a friendship, a place or a surrounding environment. It is a perception that is shaped within personal, cultural, historical and social contexts. Belonging

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.

Good Afternoon teachers and students, The following texts express how an individuals understanding of belonging can quickly be changed by the people and place around them. “Jasper Jones a novel written by Craig Silvey”, it is a short story of a boy named Charles Butkins and the events that occurred because he helped Jasper Jones mask the death of Laura Wishart. “Australia by Ania Walwicz”, is attacking the people of Australia in the form of a poem, because of their point of views and attitudes in life. She also hates Australia itself because the people are not welcoming, this is the main point of this poem.

People’s perceptions of belonging can change over time, but this isn’t the case for all. When people experience moments of crisis in their lives they sometimes force a change within themselves and that is what helps them find an individual sense of belonging. This is highlighted in many texts and even composers life works. Texts that support this statement include Peter Skrzynecki’s Immigrant Chronicle poems, of which I have chosen St Patricks College and Feliks Skrzynecki. Skrzynecki’s poetry expresses the difficulties he faces when change doesn’t occur throughout time, as time alone isn’t a factor and that your sense of belonging is something that comes from within, with or without anyone.

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

People have the longing to belong and to be accepted by a group or community. A sense of Belonging can emerge from the connections and acceptance we have with other people, communities and the larger world. These ideas of belonging are represented in texts which explore aspects of belonging and an individual’s potential to challenge or improve a community group. The film ‘Strictly Ballroom,’ directed by Baz Lurhman, the film ‘Looking for Alibrandi’ directed by Kate Woods and the exaggerated true story of an African American youth’s fight to belong in the song “dance with the devil” by immortal technique all represent ideas of belonging formed by life experiences.

Belonging can be defined as the process of the association with the human race as socially active characters. It is part of the human condition which represents the need for security, safety and acceptance. An aspect of belonging such as isolation can be associated with the concept of belonging, as not belonging is a reciprocal process of belonging. Belonging allows for the authentication of characters through the formation of identity and connections.

The feeling of not belonging, the feeling of being different, and unique is best stated by Patricia Smith What It’s Like to Be a Black Girl, “first of all, it’s being 9 years old and feeling like you’re not finished, like your edges are wild, like there’s something, everything, wrong” (pg 267 Clugston).

An individual’s sense of belonging is determined not only by their own choices but also by the attitudes of others.

Belonging is primarily about acceptance and developing a connection and identity. Belonging implies an understanding of the needs of the individual and the group and negotiating a way towards acceptance of those needs. Conversely, exclusion emerges when the individual and the group fail to understand each other. Steven Herrick’s “The Simple Gift” is the story of three protagonists who develop friendships and ultimately change their perceptions of self. Comparatively, John Duigan’s “The Year My Voice Broke” explores how the relationships

“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.

Sherman Alexie’s novel ‘The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian’ is about Arnold, a Native American boy who gets regularly bullied for not looking like a “typical human”, makes the decision to move to a school in Reardan outside of Wellpinit in order to find a place to belong. Alexie reveals how it is important to have a place to belong. He shows Arnold the importance of belonging by exposing the many harsh consequences of not having a place to belong. Additionally displaying how not belonging in a place with high expectations can stop you from achieving your goals. Furthermore, Sherman Alexie highlights how the meaning of belonging is needed in order to feel safe in the environment you’re in.

Question 3 (15 marks) Explore how perceptions of belonging and not belonging can be influenced by connections to places. In your response, refer to your prescribed text and at least ONE other related text of your own choosing. The prescribed texts are listed on the next page. Word Length: 1200 words A sense of belonging is an essential part of the human condition; it is a desire shared by all. Belonging refers to the ability of an individual to fit in a specified place or environment. This may include fitting in with a group of people, fitting in with society or fitting in with a physical place. All individuals have their own unique perception of belonging and not belonging, based on a number of factors. One of

There is a various of research and theories that discuss the importance of a sense of belonging in human development. An individual’s sense of belonging relates to feelings of acceptance and being valued in a space (Goodenow, 1993). Baumeister & Leary (1995) states that the belongingness hypothesis is one that predicts that humans have intrinsic motivation to cultivate meaningful, long lasting relationships with frequent interactions. People need the feeling of encouragement and a sense of belonging with other individuals, making community belonging and attachments an essential key to positive human psychological and physical health. An individual’s feeling of belonging and acceptance is especially important for latino adolescents. According to Maurizi, Ceballo, Epstein-Ngo, & Cortina (2013), when latino adolescents have a greater sense of neighborhood belonging, they tend to have lesser levels of depression and anxiety. There are several things that may impact adolescents’ sense of community, including community violence exposure, their fear of crime, and community-based activities that they participate in.

The idea of belonging is an important and fundamental value in our lives. For humans as social creatures, belonging to a group provides a sense of security both physically and mentally. A group provides a framework of values, attitudes and rules that the individual can find a sense of security and comfort from when all share the same aspects of life. A sense of belonging therefore most commonly emerges from personal experience, concepts of identity, relationships, acceptance and understanding from interacting with the group. When there is no conflict between the members of the group, it creates a strong sense of security within the group. In Maslow’s hierarchy of needs