bored of sc
Active Member
- Joined
- Nov 10, 2007
- Messages
- 2,314
- Gender
- Male
- HSC
- 2009
What do you think?
Belonging: being a member or part of a certain group or form.
An understanding of belonging is essential as it is an inherent human condition. One either belongs or does not belong to an existing entity. This is a key assumption underlying the area of study.
There are many different groups people belong to. Some include family, peer/social groups, teams, clubs, cultural groups, school, work, nationality/country and lifestyles.
To belong beyond/without a doubt, one needs to fit the expectations/norms of that particular group for instance, to belong to a school community one must be prepared to attend school classes and cooperate with the staff and fellow students, otherwise there is the risk of expulsion.
An individual’s identity is closely interrelated with belonging. Groups are formed due to the similarities/shared interests of its members. Characteristics such as age, gender, location/environment, family, socio-economic status, dominant culture, friends, race/cultural heritage, political views, education, heredity and lifestyle are powerful forces pulling people towards particular groups. For example, someone who moves from out west in the country to a coastal, city area may feel alienated and isolated as the lifestyle they have come from is a stark contrast to the lifestyle they have now chosen. We all enjoy the security of the familiar [paraphrased from V’s London speech in McTeigue’s V for Vendetta] and it is easy to feel frightened when moving into the unknown, the road we haven’t travelled.
Belonging is often used as a safety blanket. People use it to differentiate between groups. A prime example of this is bigotry. The Cronulla riots were the result of irrational racist remarks exchanged between the Lebanese and the Caucasians. Violence, harassment and vilification were present and social groups were established and strengthened purely based on race/cultural group – leading to divisions within the community, ongoing discrimination and social unrest.
However belonging does not just divide people, it unites. The National Rugby League is the excellent example of this. After the Manly Sea Eagles defeated the Melbourne Storm 40-0 in the 2008 Grand Final football fans across Australia came together with the same intention in mind – to celebrate.
Past experiences can teach us life lessons in relation to belonging. “When we begin to understand the forces that drive us to belong, we develop empathy for others and personal insight,” [Karen Yager, NSW Department of Education and Training] self-actualisation (true knowledge of oneself, one’s relationships with others and the world they live in). Once this happens social barriers and paradigms break down. One realises that to ensure they belong and are accepted within society they must stop trying to fight what they ultimately cannot control.
Personal perceptions and attitudes play a crucial role in determining our belonging status. This also encompasses value systems, morals, ethics, beliefs, prejudices, social constructs, ideologies and philosophies. In the end it comes down to the individual. You influence what, who, where, when, why and how you belong through decision making – the choices you make and the experiences which result.
Belonging is a universally ubiquitous concept for humanity – we will never stop trying to gain a valuable place in the world. We will put on facades, continue to pass on learned prejudices and forever search for the ultimate goal of integrity and immortality.
Belonging: being a member or part of a certain group or form.
An understanding of belonging is essential as it is an inherent human condition. One either belongs or does not belong to an existing entity. This is a key assumption underlying the area of study.
There are many different groups people belong to. Some include family, peer/social groups, teams, clubs, cultural groups, school, work, nationality/country and lifestyles.
To belong beyond/without a doubt, one needs to fit the expectations/norms of that particular group for instance, to belong to a school community one must be prepared to attend school classes and cooperate with the staff and fellow students, otherwise there is the risk of expulsion.
An individual’s identity is closely interrelated with belonging. Groups are formed due to the similarities/shared interests of its members. Characteristics such as age, gender, location/environment, family, socio-economic status, dominant culture, friends, race/cultural heritage, political views, education, heredity and lifestyle are powerful forces pulling people towards particular groups. For example, someone who moves from out west in the country to a coastal, city area may feel alienated and isolated as the lifestyle they have come from is a stark contrast to the lifestyle they have now chosen. We all enjoy the security of the familiar [paraphrased from V’s London speech in McTeigue’s V for Vendetta] and it is easy to feel frightened when moving into the unknown, the road we haven’t travelled.
Belonging is often used as a safety blanket. People use it to differentiate between groups. A prime example of this is bigotry. The Cronulla riots were the result of irrational racist remarks exchanged between the Lebanese and the Caucasians. Violence, harassment and vilification were present and social groups were established and strengthened purely based on race/cultural group – leading to divisions within the community, ongoing discrimination and social unrest.
However belonging does not just divide people, it unites. The National Rugby League is the excellent example of this. After the Manly Sea Eagles defeated the Melbourne Storm 40-0 in the 2008 Grand Final football fans across Australia came together with the same intention in mind – to celebrate.
Past experiences can teach us life lessons in relation to belonging. “When we begin to understand the forces that drive us to belong, we develop empathy for others and personal insight,” [Karen Yager, NSW Department of Education and Training] self-actualisation (true knowledge of oneself, one’s relationships with others and the world they live in). Once this happens social barriers and paradigms break down. One realises that to ensure they belong and are accepted within society they must stop trying to fight what they ultimately cannot control.
Personal perceptions and attitudes play a crucial role in determining our belonging status. This also encompasses value systems, morals, ethics, beliefs, prejudices, social constructs, ideologies and philosophies. In the end it comes down to the individual. You influence what, who, where, when, why and how you belong through decision making – the choices you make and the experiences which result.
Belonging is a universally ubiquitous concept for humanity – we will never stop trying to gain a valuable place in the world. We will put on facades, continue to pass on learned prejudices and forever search for the ultimate goal of integrity and immortality.
(Same with yours jaychouf4n... for a 10 min work that's pretty good)
