This article considers the notion of belonging as an always incomplete and evolving journey integral to which is the gift of otherness; a journey that consists of a continuous mutation of self, others and world. This contrasts with the more fixed notion of 'belonging-to' that suggests prescribed identities affiliated to an established order, which…

The percentage of women receiving bachelor's degrees in physics (25%) in the U.S. lags well behind that of men, and women leave the major at higher rates. Achieving equity in physics will mean that women stay in physics at the same rates as men, but this will require changes in the culture and support structures. A strong sense of belonging can…

The paper examines the use of esprit de corps as an intragroup identity construction device that indexes contextual conceptualisations among the (para)military discourse community in Nigeria. Data were generated through participant observation and audio tape recordings of randomly selected personnel of the target agencies at designated checkpoints…

The first year of university can be a vulnerable time, especially for students who describe themselves as shy and who may be reluctant to engage socially. Shyness, which can be closely aligned with social anxiety, often reduces opportunities for students to belong. This paper presents the experiences of two students negotiating experiences of…

In Queensland, Australia, there has been a major reform shifting Year 7 from Primary to Secondary Schools and implementing the Junior Secondary initiative for Years 7-9 in government schools. Six Guiding Principles, including establishing a Distinct Identity, provide the framework. This study examined 317 students transitioning from Year 6 to 7,…

Students in East Asian locations often obtain high academic results in international high-stakes testing, but lower results on affective aspects of their schooling, such as sense of belonging. These findings indicate the need for more holistic research into children's lifeworlds, including their experiences of school. In this article, we draw on a…

1. Who am I? 2. Where do I belong? 3. What am I called to? These three questions represent the narrative shifts that are the outcomes of the Identity/Belonging/Agency (IBA) transformative development framework. The IBA framework emerged from the author's critical reflections on fiction reading and dialogues in 12+ community conversations to…

This dissertation examines the role of cultural centers and experiences of microaggressions in shaping the ethnic identity of Asian American undergraduates in U.S. higher education institutions. Utilizing Phinney's model of ethnic identity development, a study with 175 participants revealed a positive correlation between reported microaggressions…

In this activity, students will create a flag that symbolizes their perceived identity. Each student will create and use a legend to define their perceived meaning behind the selected elements and how they came to associate that meaning with their identity. Finally, they will share their flag, its associated legend, and what they learned by…

There is limited research on the relationship between the Impostor Phenomenon (IP) and School Belongingness (SB) of college students in an Educational Opportunity Program (EOP). The present study examined the extent to which first-year college students in an educational opportunity program experience the impostor phenomenon and school…

Subjective experiences of autistic adults remain under-researched, especially in the field of art. To learn more about their uses and functions of music, we interviewed 13 autistic adults and through a hermeneutic-phenomenological analysis found four overarching themes: Well-being, Identity and self-development, Connectedness, and Negative…

First-generation students, a population that makes up one-third of all college and university students nationwide, and expected to grow, have lower retention and graduation rates than continuing-generation students. They also have been identified as the population of marginalized students that have the least developed sense of belonging.…

Research indicates that historically underrepresented college students are more likely to report alienating campus climates which can contribute to decreased sense of belonging and wellbeing. In turn, a lack of a sense of belonging and poor mental health may lead to decreased academic engagement and increased likelihood of attrition. Theoretical…

Arab American college students must navigate the paradox of being hypervisible as well as invisible while in college. They are a unique and diverse group of students whose lived experiences and ways of belonging are underexplored. In this study of 12 Arab American college students, participants discussed how they understand their Arab American…

Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) students are attending colleges and universities that are woefully underprepared for serving the unique needs of TGD students. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to investigate the lived experiences of TGD post-secondary students in the context of pervasive genderism and cisnormative collegiate…