Abstract
What does belonging look and feel like? How is belonging distinctly different from inclusion? Two scholar practitioners in social innovation and fellows at Fielding Graduate University continue to interview professionals and build models that illustrate these and other questions and component parts of DE&I from a systems perspective. From the core building blocks of belonging—identification, affiliation, allegiance and responsibility—to the exploration of belonging as a social location and sense of shared purpose, the practitioners continue to refine the relationship between self and ecosystem for benefit of both employees and the organization. An environment that emphasizes belonging as a cultural asset can lead to more equitable access to resources, higher productivity and cost savings in human resources. For the employee, a culture of belonging is a place to experience the fluidity of an authentic, merginal identity—one that emphasizes mindfulness, empathy and work for the common good.
Presenters
Ann RitterFellow, Institute for Social Innovation, Fielding Graduate University, California, United States Kathleen Curran
Founder/principal - Explorer with Purpose, Intercultural Systems, Texas, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
KEYWORDS
Belonging, Marginality, Merginality, Social Location, Identification, Affiliation, Allegiance, Responsibility, Resonance
