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The Formation of a Sense of Belonging: An Analysis of Young People’s Lives in Australian and Italian Rural Communities

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Interrogating Belonging for Young People in Schools

Abstract

This chapter draws on insights from a longitudinal, mixed-methods study in Australia to interpret quantitative data on the formation of belonging among students in Italy. It presents a relational, rather than spatial, analysis of how young people construct belonging in rural places. It shows that belonging is not merely defined by place but by affective, cultural and relational practices. These are sedimented over time through daily rituals and every day practices that operate as social mechanisms and structure social relations. They shape the quality of young people’s relationships and give meaning, value, identity and a sense of belonging to young people, even though they live in rural places and spaces characterised by uncertainty, social change and fragmentation.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Roma Tre, Rome, Italy

    Mauro Giardiello

  2. The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Hernan Cuervo

Authors
  1. Mauro Giardiello
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  2. Hernan Cuervo
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mauro Giardiello .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

    Christine Halse

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Giardiello, M., Cuervo, H. (2018). The Formation of a Sense of Belonging: An Analysis of Young People’s Lives in Australian and Italian Rural Communities. In: Halse, C. (eds) Interrogating Belonging for Young People in Schools. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-75217-4_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-75217-4_10

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-75216-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-75217-4

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