What does belonging mean to you?
You might answer this in a few words, or perhaps you have a story that goes with it. Reflexively, I answered this as “community and connection,” but reflecting deeper from the many identities I hold, it’s much more than that. What do those words really mean?
People are complex and we all have different parts of our identity that influence who we are. Understanding where our feelings of belonging come from can be important to shaping effective activities and changing narratives to be more inclusive and accessible.
I had the opportunity to work on a research project titled “Enhancing a sense of belonging through physical activity: “Active Community, Connected Community” with the Family and Child Health Initiative (FCHI).
FCHI aims to improve the health and well-being of children, youth, and families in Peel region by centering community voices. Our project aimed to understand what makes youth feel a sense of belonging and how to increase feelings of belonging, specifically in connection to physical activity opportunities for youth within Mississauga Valley’s schools and community spaces.
We used a community based participatory research (CBPR) approach, where we engaged community members like parents, caregivers, youth, and teachers, as well as community partners including Peel Public Health and the City of Mississauga.
Youth had the opportunity to reflect on what belonging means to them and expressed their perspectives by capturing photos and writing captions. They came together as a group and came up with 18 themes to summarize their findings: nature, food, animals, religion, self-care, hobbies, feet, relaxed, hanging out, special memories with friends/ family /loved ones, family time, people spending time together, travel, home country, country, passions, favourite sports and fun times.
To further engage community members, we held an event at the Valley’s community centre that centered around an exhibit featuring the youth’s photos and narratives, community partners and an activity that encouraged the community to share their ideas.
The research team found similarities and differences between these and the youth’s themes and brainstormed recommendations with different groups in mind, with the goals of turning research into action. One main recommendation is continuing to offer a variety of activities in the community centre that can also be done at home or in different spaces with others or independently.
Incorporating the 18 themes into a guided story walk with a literal path and the imagery of journeys, memories, experiences and the future was also a major suggestion. Next steps will see this work co-designed with community organizations to cascade the work anchored in the youth’s photos and themes, continuing to develop their own paths, but also their community’s.
Have your thoughts on belonging changed?
In the end, there is no right answer. Everyone’s journey to belonging is different, and that journey can change as we grow and interact with different environments and others around us.
If you’re interested in learning more about this project, FCHI or getting involved, reach out to dianne.fierheller@thp.ca