Belonging

What does it mean to ‘belong’ in the 21st century? Many institutions and communities around the world are learning to cope with a parallel set of problems: how to share a common sense of mission and commitment; encourage very diverse groups of people to work successfully in tandem; minimise unnecessary conflict and friction in a context of multiple and shifting identities.

Much has been written on ‘living and working with diversity’ by cultural and social anthropologists, sociologists, psychologists and political scientists. Little attempt has been made to initiate an inter-disciplinary understanding of belonging and identity from which to draw practical lessons.

We are about to embark in a new programme of work that will attempt to connect the more abstract issues of belonging and identity with the day-to-day realities of work, community, leisure and how people interact with others.

The programme will broadly cover the following questions:

What is meant by multiple identities? How hard is it to live with multiple identities?
What are the conditions for people to wear multiple identities more lightly
Under what conditions do particular identities (national, ethnic, religious) become dominant?
What is the relationship between values, identity and living together?
What is the role of rituals in creating bonds and shared spaces for participation, mutual understanding and solidarity?
What are the day-to-day circumstances, which promote stronger mutual understanding and less prejudice?
How much does conflict and division result from structural or contingent factors?

So far, the work programme has involved:

Publication of a chapter on belonging by Geoff Mulgan and Rushanara Ali in a 2007 book Britishnes: towards a progressive citizenship' by the Smith Institute. You can download the full publication here.
Publication of a chapter on integration by Alessandra Buonfino in a forthcoming book on Immigration and Integration by Policy Network and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung. The full publication can be downloaded here.
A major Young Foundation/ UCL lecture by Professor Dame Mary Douglas on identity. More details, including a recording of Mary Douglas' lecture available here.
A think piece on belonging in 21st century Britain for the Commission on Integration and Cohesion. Alessandra Buonfino (with Louisa Thomson), 'Belonging in contemporary Britain'. Available here

Future elements of the programme include: