The Need to Belong

The Need to Belong

Sara Mayer

PSY304: Lifespan Development (COE1403A)

Dana Dillard

2/07/2014

The Need to Belong

Why do we as humans feel the need to belong to a peer group? Does our need to belong become more important as we age? This paper will address theories human development that explains our need to belong. The stages in which we start to develop the need to belong with a group will be addressed as well. The last section will cover the history and cultural view on belonging with in a social group.

Human Development and Longing to Belong

When touching on the subject of humans wanting to belong not only is the subject of lifespan development being discussed but the subject of social psychology. As humans we all feel the need to belong. We could feel the need to belong with the institutions we interact with or peer groups we interact with. What ever we choose and feel the need to belong to the bottom line is humans are social creatures and hence we want to belong somewhere.

Jean Piaget and Harry Stack Sullivan recognized that children learn and develop social behaviors from interactions with their peers. This could be a good thing or bad thing depending on the peer group they feel the need to interact with. From these interactions children learn the meaning of fairness, justice and how to integrate themselves into activates with fellow peers. Rejection by the peer group however can teach children the feelings of loneliness, hostility and the meaning of being rejected. If the rejection continues children may seek out other behaviors like criminal behavior or may even develop mental health issues or behavioral issues. (Santrock 2012)

The need to belong develops in childhood and continues into adulthood. As humans we are social creatures and have the need to belong. If we are rejected by a peer group we become hurt and may even move on to a peer group that will accept us, even if this means...