Belonging

"We are not only shaped by the groups we belong to; we are also defined by the ones we are excluded from."

What is Belonging?

If Unknowing forces us to confront the limits of what we know, and Meaning reveals how we construct our understanding of reality, then Belonging is the force that binds us to others, to identity, and to culture itself.

We do not just create meaning in isolation, we do so within communities, institutions, and groups that shape what we see as possible, valuable, or true.

Belonging is a fundamental human need. It is woven into our biology, our psychology, and our social structures. We are wired for connection, recognition, and inclusion, to feel part of something larger than ourselves.

But belonging is not neutral. It is also about exclusion, power, and control.

• To belong to one group is often to be separated from another.
• To share meaning with one community is to be unintelligible to others.
• To feel a sense of home is also to experience the threat of losing it.

The Fractured Lens reveals that belonging is never just about fitting in, it is about who defines the terms of inclusion, who is left out, and what the costs of belonging truly are.

The Dual Nature of Belonging: Connection and Control

Belonging is often framed as a purely positive force, a source of identity, security, and shared purpose. But every system of belonging also establishes boundaries, hierarchies, and insiders vs. outsiders.

We can see this in:

• Organisations: Corporate cultures create belonging through shared language, rituals, and values. But they also exclude those who don’t ‘fit’, whether intentionally or through unspoken norms.
• Nations: Citizenship is a form of belonging. It grants rights, protections, and identity, but also creates borders, nationalism, and exclusion.
• Social Movements: Every cause is built on a shared sense of belonging, but this can lead to purity tests and the policing of who is ‘truly’ part of the movement.
• Workplace Cultures: Employees who don’t conform to dominant ways of thinking, speaking, or working often find themselves subtly excluded, even in ‘inclusive’ environments.

Belonging, then, is not just about community, it is also about control. It defines:

• Who gets to have a voice.
• Who is trusted.
• What behaviours are acceptable.
• What narratives are considered legitimate.

To belong is to be shaped by these forces. To see through The Fractured Lens is to ask:

• What are the hidden rules of belonging in this space?
• Who is excluded, and why?
• What is the cost of fitting in?

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants: Thinkers of Belonging

Erving Goffman: The Performance of Belonging

Sociologist Erving Goffman argued that identity is performative, we do not simply ‘belong’ to groups; we perform our belonging through language, dress, and behaviour.

• At work, we ‘perform’ professionalism.
• In social settings, we adapt to fit the norms of the group.
• On social media, we curate identities that signal belonging to certain tribes.

But what happens when the performance is exhausting?

• What if we must hide parts of ourselves to belong?
• What if the cost of inclusion is silence, self-erasure, or conformity?

Goffman’s work reminds us that belonging is not always a choice, it is often a demand.

Benedict Anderson: Imagined Communities

In Imagined Communities, Anderson argued that nations are not natural entities, but socially constructed identities. The idea of being ‘New Zealander’ or ‘Australian’ is not based on direct personal relationships but on a shared story of belonging.

This applies to organisations as well. Companies cultivate a sense of ‘team’ or ‘family’, but these identities are imagined, maintained through language, symbols, and rituals rather than actual close bonds.

The question The Fractured Lens asks is: When does belonging become manipulation? When does it serve the group, and when does it serve power?

Bauman: Liquid Modernity and the Fragility of Belonging

Zygmunt Bauman’s concept of Liquid Modernity describes a world where traditional forms of belonging (nation, religion, stable communities) are dissolving, leaving people in a state of constant insecurity.

• Work is no longer a lifelong identity, it is precarious, shifting, unstable.
• Social belonging is mediated by algorithms, constantly curated and conditional.
• The ‘tribes’ we belong to today may dissolve tomorrow.

Bauman’s insight is crucial: Belonging today is increasingly fragile, transactional, and market-driven. Organisations promise ‘community’, but often only for as long as it serves their goals. Leaders claim to foster belonging but only for those who align with their vision.

Seeing through The Fractured Lens means recognising that belonging is not just about feeling connected, it is also about navigating the instability of who we belong to and why.

Belonging in Organisations: The Illusion of Inclusion

Most organisations claim to value belonging. They talk about diversity, equity, and inclusion. They run workshops, build employee resource groups, and measure engagement scores.

But belonging cannot be manufactured through policies alone. It is shaped by:

• Who holds power and how they wield it.
• Which voices are amplified and which are ignored.
• Whether people can bring their whole selves—or only the parts that fit.

The Problem with ‘Cultural Fit’

Many companies hire based on ‘cultural fit’, but what this often means is hiring for sameness, not inclusion.

• If the culture values aggressive competition, more collaborative individuals may feel alienated.
• If leadership is predominantly one demographic, unspoken norms may exclude those outside that identity.
• If promotions reward conformity, true innovation is stifled.

The illusion of inclusion happens when organisations talk about belonging while maintaining structures that reinforce exclusion.

The question is not just “How do we make people feel included?”

It is “What are the hidden barriers to belonging, and who defines them?”

The Dark Side of Belonging: The Cost of Exclusion

Belonging feels safe because exclusion is painful.

The fear of being cast out is one of the deepest human anxieties.

• In social movements, this leads to in-group policing, where even slight deviations from the accepted ideology result in exile.
• In companies, this manifests as fear-driven conformity, where people stay silent rather than challenge harmful norms.
• In politics, it fuels polarisation, as people double down on their group’s narratives rather than risk being ‘othered’.

Belonging can be a weapon, used to enforce loyalty, silence, and control.

Seeing through The Fractured Lens means asking:

• Is belonging here conditional on compliance?
• Who decides the terms of inclusion?
• Are we encouraging belonging, or enforcing conformity?

How to Engage with Belonging as a Dynamic Force

Question the Hidden Rules of Inclusion

• Who defines what it means to ‘belong’ here?
• What is the cost of fitting in?
• Who is excluded, and why?

Recognise that Belonging is Not Always Benevolent

• Does belonging in this group require silence, conformity, or self-censorship?
• Does this space allow for true diversity of thought?
• What happens to those who challenge the dominant norms?

See Belonging as an Ongoing Negotiation

• Belonging is never fixed, it evolves with time, power, and social change.
• True inclusion requires constant reflection, adjustment, and accountability.

Belonging is Never Just About Inclusion

The Fractured Lens reveals that belonging is both a source of identity and a tool of exclusion. It is shaped by power, shaped by fear, shaped by the stories we tell ourselves about who we are.

The final force we must explore is The Dynamics of Power & Change, because once we understand meaning and belonging, we must ask: Who controls them? Who gets to shape reality? And how does change truly happen?