WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BELONG?

Belonging is a fundamental human need, and one that is linked to many of the most complex challenges of our time, according to The Belonging Barometer: The State of Belonging in America, a new research tool and accompanying report from Over Zero and the Center for Inclusion and Belonging at the American Immigration Council.

The key takeaway? Without a sense of belonging, individuals and communities suffer; with it, they thrive.

The first-ever report, published in early 2023, detailed the association of belonging and critical life outcomes in:

• Health (showing better general and mental health; increased life satisfaction; decreased pain, stress and loneliness)

• Workplace (showing increased retention and greater willingness to recommend one’s job)

• Social cohesion (showing higher satifaction with local community; increased trust in one’s neighbors, other local residents, and local government; more civic engagement; decreased feelings of marginalization; decreased fear of demographic change; more openness to diversity; and greater desire to meet people who are different than oneself)

• Democracy (showing greater satisfaction with life and democracy in the U.S.; increased support for our democratic system of government).

Yet, researchers found a majority of Americans report non-belonging in the workplace (64%), in the nation (68%), in their local community (74%), in any life setting measured (20%) and in all life settings (6%).

What about you? Use this space to consider where you find belonging and how you can build it right where you are.

WHERE DO I MOST FEEL I BELONG?

WHAT DO I NEED TO BELONG?

WHERE CAN I BUILD BELONGING?