Belonging was the subject of Alex Moseley's presentation on the second day of the 2022 LSP® Global Meeting. Alex is the Director of Teaching and Learning at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, United Kingdom, and a certified LSP® facilitator. He spoke about belonging in the experience of university students.
Alex shared the insights of Vallerand (1997) and Goodenow (1993) on belonging: "At an individual level, belonging recognizes the students' subjective feelings of relationship or connection with the institution. This implies feeling connected (or feeling that one belongs to a social environment). It can relate to the degree of acceptance, respect, inclusion, and support from other students in the social environment of the school."
The facilitator reminded us that through LSP®, it is possible to transform the intangible into tangible. Discussing belonging using LEGO® bricks facilitates the expression of participants and leads to deep reflections, as it creates a safe environment for sharing during the workshop. I believe that this dialogue would be different without the 3D models. We tend to avoid sensitive subjects like this. Even when we find safe spaces, we often don't know how we feel about a particular issue, and/or we lack the vocabulary to name and share our feelings. LSP® helps us navigate all of this and access meaningful points through the connection of hands and mind and through storytelling.
I would like to extend the reflection a bit further. Let's start by looking at the case of gifted students and their feelings regarding educational institutions. Reports of not belonging and invisibility are common among these students, both in schools and universities, and there is often no effective approach to addressing this issue in most schools I know. Secondly, it seems that this situation extends to the job market, as the way many corporations are currently organized generates a climate of competitiveness, distrust, and insecurity among employees. In this scenario, it is almost impossible to find a sense of belonging.
According to Neuroscience, a stressed and insecure brain cannot perform its higher functions well, such as creativity. Additionally, it depletes energy resources more quickly, as it believes it is in real danger and goes into an alert state. Taking into consideration the current setup of schools, universities, and companies, I identify a point of concern. How can a person maintain their well-being when they spend a significant amount of time in environments where they feel insecure to express themselves and are compelled to compete with their peers? Where there is an increasing number of demands to be met and high expectations of constant productivity? In the face of this scenario, it is understandable that many succumb to pressure, withdraw from school or employment, become ill, and feel exhausted, dissatisfied, and lost at some point in their lives.
We are highly affected by the environments we frequent, and in educational institutions, there is the added factor of their formative nature. It is in these places that most of us learn how to coexist in society and how to navigate the world. The configuration of current educational systems does not prioritize the formation of critical, secure, and authentic individuals. On the contrary, it prepares individuals for the job market, which causes suffering, low self-esteem, and stress. I believe it is possible to transform educational institutions and corporations into safe, welcoming environments that celebrate diversity. Going beyond financial provision and creating space for authenticity and a sense of belonging to be part of the ecosystem is essential to break the cycle of exhaustion and anxiety that has affected so many people around the world. It is urgent for educational and corporate environments to become more humane and sustainable.
My participation in the 2022 LSP® Global Meeting reinforces the certainty that we can do things differently. For me, and for many colleagues, belonging was the most prevalent feeling during the conference. I had already participated remotely in 2020 when I presented the volunteer project Genius, and I could get a taste of what the community was like, but it was only this year that I could experience the full event. Even though it was my first time physically at the LEGO® House, I felt welcomed and integrated from the beginning. I know that this made all the difference in my experience in Billund, and now I understand why this event is so special for the community. One of the reasons that make the LSP® Global Meeting such a powerful event is the atmosphere of cooperation, support, and celebration among colleagues. This environment facilitates the development of the shared content throughout the intense two days and catalyzes learning, making the experience highly meaningful and profound both professionally and personally. Investing in intra and interpersonal connections by providing a safe environment is one of the possible paths to transforming institutions and companies into great agents of social change.
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