On the Pedagogy of Belonging (Part 1)

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akilori

3 min readFeb 22, 2023

As we come to understand inclusion as the bare minimum, we can also grasp belonging as a step towards a state of being in education that is worthwhile. Academics of marginalized identities know well how it feels to be included at a table where it is made abundantly clear that we do not belong. We, in juxtaposition, also know how rich, inviting, and natural belonging can feel.

The Circle of Courage framework for youth development, outlining the things folk need to develop emotional wellness. I believe this model extends easily to our work in academia, not to be appropriated, but to be understood deeply and applied in earnest. The Circle of Courage asserts that all youth need to experience belonging, mastery, independence and generosity to experience courageous growth, or empowerment, in my mind. Inclusion, in the stead of belonging, undermines this development, surely, and evidentially often fails to empower those of marginalized identities.

So what is the ‘Pedagogy of Belonging’? Namely, it is a framework that has pushed the thinking and praxis of educators for decades. Pedagogy of Belonging demands us as educators to develop a theory of change and praxis which ensures all students can belong in and thrive in educational spaces, not in spite of but because of their unique and shared identities and experiences. This, again, is in contrast with the demand of inclusive pedagogy, which simply ensures that a broad spectrum of people are included. Belonging asks us to be generative while inclusion asks us to check boxes. Belonging lends itself to transformational change while inclusion lends itself to small progress. I prefer the former.

There is no part of me that believes this to be easy work. This is not work that will make power majorities comfortable, at first or even soon, because it means relinquishing control of spaces in order to make space for more people to belong, more people than any of us are used to. Unless we aim to keep diluting exclusion indefinitely, this discomfort is a reality we, as educators, must embrace. The other important part of shifting paradigms towards belonging is the context that belonging is long overdue. We’ve inherited exclusionary norms that quite literally should have never existed, in education or other sectors, and only serve a small slice of society.

Practitioners of belonging in education ensure healthy ways of addressing and transforming conflict. They understand how power and privilege operate and subvert these norms where appropriate, caring for the wellbeing of all people in their educational community. Those dedicated to the pedagogy of belonging show development of social and cultural competence while acknowledging and addressing shortcomings in these areas, modeling the growth mindset. Instructional spaces with belonging implement democratic practices at all levels of engagement. The Pedagogy of Belonging should be getting all of the attention, and resources, that diversity and inclusion is receiving — after all, inclusion alone is not the end-goal of most marginalized folks, many of whom would unquestionably choose belonging over inclusion. When these communities already have done the scholarship and generated the praxis, what’s stopping us from choosing belonging?

More Resources:

On the Pedagogy of Belonging (Part 1)

Written by Julian Akil Rose