Belonging

Belonging refers to an individual’s subjective sense of acceptance, inclusion, and connection within a social group, community, or society, and is regarded by sociologists as a fundamental human need that shapes identity formation, social cohesion, and overall wellbeing. It emerges through shared norms, values, rituals, and reciprocal relationships that signal membership and mutual recognition between individuals and the collectives they inhabit, operating at multiple scales from intimate family units to national identities. Nira Yuval-Davis, a key theorist in this area, distinguishes belonging from “the politics of belonging,” arguing that belonging involves both an emotional attachment and a struggle over who is included or excluded from particular collectives. Émile Durkheim’s earlier work on social solidarity also informs sociological understandings of belonging, framing it as essential to social integration and the prevention of anomie. Belonging is often contrasted with experiences of exclusion, marginalization, or alienation, and is influenced by structural factors such as class, ethnicity, gender, and migration status. Institutions, social policies, and cultural practices can actively foster or restrict belonging, making it a key concept for understanding inequality, integration, and social cohesion within societies.