Belonging_Definition_Essay

The concept of belonging can have a variety of different meanings to different individuals. The Australian Oxford Dictionary defines Belonging as ‘to have an affinity with an affinity for a specified place or situation’. My personal idea of belonging is slightly different. Belonging, to me, is to know who you are, being who you want to be and being true to yourself. Belonging is also being a member or part of a certain group or form. One of the main aspects of belonging, I believe, is to know who you are and understanding the reason for each individual’s uniqueness. Each individual belongs to a body, a family, and a personality unique in its own right. Although, for so many individuals they can feel as though they have no place in the world and can quite often lose themselves. Through facing trials in life, such as depression, job loss, the death of a loved one, we can begin to know fully who we are and understand why we were created to be a particular way. In doing this we start to feel a strong sense of belonging not only in society, but within ourselves. Another aspect of belonging, which closely links to the previous paragraph, is being true to yourself. As humans we are always striving to be accepted and many of us, particularly in high school, will begin showing other characteristics in an attempt to be accepted into a group. For example; in order to fit into a more popular group a person may change their appearance and personality to something completely unlike them. While the group may accept this person they are not really belonging as they are being the person that they have strived to be. This is why a person may reject a group environment as, more often than not, belonging is about how an individual sees an environment, not how the environment sees the individual. Belonging is most commonly referred to when being a member or part of a certain group or form. As humans we have the basic need to belong to a group, tracing back to the past when belonging to a group was essential to survival. Every individual belongs to a group, whether they immediately realise it or not, these groups can include; family, school, peers, religion, work, clubs, teams. In order to belong to a group we need to meet the expectations or norms associated with that group. For example, in order to belong to a school community we need to abide by the rules enforced, such as attending classes and following instructions, otherwise there is a risk of suspension and/or expulsion. Belonging is also often used as a means to differentiate between groups. People often join or form groups as they share a similar interests and personalities, we feel far more secure when we are accepted and belong to a group. Although, when people begin to differentiate between groups it can lead to violent outburst. A prime example of this is the Cronulla Riots which were caused due to racist remarks between Caucasians and Lebanese. These riots caused those of Lebanese nationality to feel isolated and targeted by Australians, after many Australians made it clear that they believed they did not belong in Australia. Belonging is most commonly seen in today’s society as being a member of a group or being accepted into a situation. Belonging, in my view, is a personal idea with the main aspects of belonging being; being true to yourself, knowing you who are and knowing who you want to be. Being true to these aspects can make an individual belong and feel accepted. To explore the definition and concept of belonging has affected me in informing me and widening my knowledge on the many different ways that belonging can be interpreted.