A Sense of Belonging
Human society historically evolved into distinct communities
held together by a shared sense of belonging. The sharing may be geographical
such as mountain people, desert people, seafarers or nomads. Language and
religion bind people together, as may their collective occupations such as farmers
or snake charmers. The gypsies across the world have a shared identity. The
Khoji (investigators)tribes of Punjab and Rajasthan, are experts at following
the tracks left by lost or stolen camels, cows, goats or sheep.
A sense of belonging is inculcated within families from
childhood. The adoption of family surnames is an interesting journey from
individualism to collective identity. Given an individual name at birth, the
child would simply be known as the son or daughter of their mother or
father. When travelling they would add
their town of origin, when conducting business they would add their profession
to their name. By the 19th C,
state administrative and legal requirements, family surnames became mandatory
across many countries, and gradually individual identity became secondary to a group
identity.
Businesses earn the loyalty of employees by creating a
corporate ‘family’ identity. Soldiers have a lifelong attachment to their regiment
and the phrase ‘brothers in arms’ refers to a unique bond between those who
serve together. A common emotion experienced by migrants is ‘missing my people’,
until they develop a new sense of belonging in their adoptive country. When
critical mass is reached in migration, then the place itself is changed to
become the place of belonging as in the case of Australia, Canada and USA where
the indigenous populations become the marginalized, the foreign.
Marriage fuses two families generating a new identity. Conversely,
finding it difficult to belong within a family, a classroom, or a social group
develops a sense of alienation, an emotional withdrawal. For some it leads to
social anxiety and depression. In
extreme cases a person may choose to live in social isolation.
By belonging to a group, we feel as if we are a part of
something bigger and more important than ourselves. Religion was the first
great unifier that superseded tribe and geography, especially Christianity and
Islam, which unlike some religions, were not associated with a geographical
region, as in Hindusim, or a particular people as in Judaism. This spirit of unity was soon challenged by
the emergence of the nation state, bringing in a new abstract concept of
belonging – patriotism. Patriotism is a
top-down identity as opposed to nationalism that emerges from belonging to a
culture. The first is a moral obligation, the second a more complex set of
inclusions and exclusions.
Being linked as a global community connected by ideas rather
nationality, has regained prominence. While transnational micro communities
keep germinating such as football fans, heavy metal or rap music followers,
digital animators and illustrators, hashtaggers, or conceptual artists, ideas
beyond borders also unite those pushing the frontiers of science, medicine,
space or digital technology. Climate
change activists, monitors of human rights violations or doctors without borders,
feel responsible for all humanity and the planet we depend on.
In 2007, nine-year-old Felix Finkbeiner gave a presentation
to his classmates on global warming suggesting children should plant one
million trees in each country of the world. Today his organization, Plant-for-the-Planet,
leads the UN Billion Tree Campaign, which was also implemented in Pakistan.
Photographer Brandon Stanton’s 2010 initiative of
photographic portraits honouring street people, Humans of New York, has spread
across the world including Pakistan.
The Michael Jackson effect is felt across the world from
China to Brazil inspiring dance moves, and fashion trends, but more
significantly, as psychologist James Hillman explains, Michael Jackson embodies
a fragile vulnerability many young people identify with, an “innocent boy whose
life is unfettered, full of style and beauty”, '' an antidote to the excessive
violence of the times.''
The most phenomenal new community to emerge is of the
millions who are turning against their own government’s support of the ongoing
genocide of the Palestinian people. Palestine is no longer a place but an idea.
The worldwide protests are a resistance to the hubris of statehood, challenging
the power of the few. State-to-State negotiations are being contested by a
people-to-people contract. As author Alan Moore says “People shouldn't be
afraid of their government. Governments should be afraid of their people.”
Durriya Kazi
May 6, 2024
Karachi
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