Is there more to the concept of belonging than the...

Is there more to the concept of belonging than the superficial meaning of the ownership of one’s possessions? Is there a constant need for human beings to feel as though they are a part of something? Do the pressures of belonging lead to conformity? What are the negative and positive effects of conformity? Is there such thing as a nonconformist? All of theses questions stem from the perplexing topic of belonging. Many famous philosophers have spent ages analyzing and discussing this concept. I was first exposed to this topic in my reading of famous philosopher Gabriel Marcel’s work titled, â€Å"Belonging and Disposability,† as assigned for my theology course. After being exposed to the topic in class I set out to discover the true meaning of†¦show more content†¦I was able to find the answer to this question further into Paul Born’s reflection. He believes that when one is a part of a trusting community over a long period of time, such as a yout h group, service club or a group of friends, an environment of belonging that evokes caring will eventually form. When groups work toward a common objective, mutuality and belonging can thus be achieved. I agreed with these ideas on experiencing belonging, as I have experienced a sense of belonging from many of the sports teams that I have been apart of growing up. After gaining this knowledge I began to wonder what would happen if one does not have a group of friends or is not a part of a group with a common goal? Will that individual strive to conform to a certain group to find a sense of belonging? Another source that I used to help further understand my topic were notes posted on Utah State University’s website regarding social influence and conformity. This source is most likely credible as professor Tamara J Ferguson posted it. I learned that while conforming one changes their attitude or beliefs in order to fulfill what one perceives as socially acceptable behavior. This source stated that there are two basic sources of influence for conformity. One being normative social influence, which is the need to be liked or accepted by others, and the other, is informational social influence, which is the need to behave in accordance with reality. Although, IShow MoreRelatedBelonging1049 Words   |  5 PagesBelonging can be a possible path to an individual’s self-actualisation. A sense of identity can be identified by belonging or not belonging to a particular group or place. A person can portray different values of belonging through different situations and settin gs, like in Shakespeare’s period and the period in ‘Fight Club’. Maslow’s Hierarchy of belonging suggests that belonging is one of the basic needs of human existence. 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Read MoreBelonging Essay2272 Words   |  10 Pages  ENGLISH   CONTENTS    PAGE:   BELONGING    BELONGING   ESSAY   Ã¢â‚¬â€œ   PAGES   2- ­Ã¢â‚¬ 3    BELONGING   SHORT   STORY   Ã¢â‚¬â€œ   PAGES   4- ­Ã¢â‚¬ 5       1        BELONGING   ESSAY    Perceptions   of,   and   attitudes   towards   belonging   are   varied   and   complex,   with    individuals   shaped   by   their   social,   historical   and   cultural   contexts.   Despite   being    inherent,   a   sense   of   belonging   may   be   experienced   throughRead Morebelonging speech1151 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Belonging speech Good morning/Afternoon teachers and students today I will be showing you how a sense of belonging or not belonging greatly influences an individual’s identity. A change in identity occurs when belonging is found through meaningful, intimate relationships, with senses of place, community, safety and familiarity. The free verse novel, The Simple Gift, composed by Steven Herrick, the dramatic fairy tale film, Edward Scissor hands, directed and created by Tim Burton and the novel