© jacoblund via Getty Images
sense of belonging : five proposals for action
Dr Dave SP Thomas offers five actions to enable a more holistic , transformational approach to achieving inclusion and belonging .
T he disequilibrium caused by the catastrophic , polarising effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the unrelenting , pernicious nature of historic and current inequalities have created and sustained institutions , environments and systems that support and maintain social injustices that pose barriers to achieving sense of belonging .
These tumultuous events have also promoted and sustained actions that have stratified , marginalised , oppressed and disenfranchised people based on their socio-political , gendered , racialised and other identity characteristics by creating and maintaining gradients of inequality and exclusion .
While there have been marginal gains in promoting equity , diversity and belonging , primarily through the efforts of people who have an affiliation to a diversity characteristic ( or intersectional combination of these characteristics ), the architecture and infrastructure of institutions and environments continue to crystalise modes of exclusion .
Research has shown that exclusion has the potential to promote feelings of physical pain , which are often classified as medically unexplained symptoms ( Eisenberger et al 2003 ; Steinbrecher et al 2011 ).
As I have written elsewhere ( Thomas 2022 ), the benefits of a diverse workforce , including those with visible and non-visible markers of diversity , and a diverse society are generally indisputable and widely accepted .
Some argue that diversity in the broader UK society and organisations have been strengthened to a degree through recognition of difference , acknowledgement of protected characteristics under equality legislation and increases in representation of ethnic minorities in political and public positions .
Others maintain that organisations are working assiduously to create more inclusive ecosystems that are reflective of the rich tapestry of diversity in their societies .
But while there are metrics that can be used to measure the extent to which organisation , institutions and societies promote equity and achieve diversity , a fundamental question remains unanswered .
How will they know when they have achieved inclusion and belonging ? Who needs to do the work and what actions should be taken ?
Sense of belonging is a far-reaching construct that has been variously defined . Psychologist Abraham Maslow theorised that sense of belonging is a basic human need and inspiration , adequate to influence behaviour .
Sense of belonging generally refers to a feeling of connectedness , that one is important or matters to others ( Rosenberg and McCullough 1981 ). True belonging is not about fitting in ; it ’ s about creating and sustaining environments where people can feel included , without judgement or fear of persecution , marginalisation , harassment or discrimination .
34 OTnews November 2022