Culture and Belonging: Belonging is Attainable and Dynamic

The US Surgeon General released an advisory earlier this year placing the pervasive problem of loneliness on the same level of public health concern as smoking. For this seventh episode of the Culture and Belonging podcast, Kim Serrano, Director of the Center for Inclusion and Belonging, spoke with us about her agency’s research around belonging, and their findings are thought-provoking! Belonging is a fundamental human need, and it does not have an on/off switch. Instead, belonging is a multifaceted spectrum of experience that varies depending on place and other people. We need a baseline understanding of the state of belonging in our spaces to develop effective interventions to increase belonging. Kim encourages us to recognize that we’re not alone when we feel a lack of belonging, and she emphasizes the fact that we combat loneliness when we prioritize being intentional and present with our loved ones.