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Development of a Sense of Belonging for Privileged and Minoritized Students: An Emergent Model
- Journal of College Student Development
- Johns Hopkins University Press
- Volume 57, Number 8, November 2016
- pp. 925-942
- 10.1353/csd.2016.0091
- Article
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Abstract:
This article reports findings from a constructionist grounded theory study with 51 first-year college students. We explored student definitions and development of a sense of belonging during their first year of college. Belonging for all participants was shaped by 3 themes: environmental perceptions, involvement, and relationships. Yet, there were vast differences in the ways students from privileged and minoritized social identity groups defined belonging and made meaning of the 3 emergent themes. A model of belonging for privileged and minoritized college students is presented.