aignerloren's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
3.75
mccarthygirl25's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
5.0
This book surprised me. I got it on a Goodreads Giveaway in hopes of reading more psychology books and it was that but also very philosophical. Belonging made me realize why I love going to Taylor Swift concerts or going to School Psychology conferences. Those are my people, those people make me feel seen. The author also talks about the political divide we currently are in right now. How the fundamental attribution error can overly simplify our understanding of others. For example, you committed a crime so you must lack character. We should realize how little we understand other peoples circumstances. For example, I think if people realized there are more factors in a person’s life then just being “lazy” on why they may be lower SES. I think it all goes back to empathy and there’s not a lot of empathy in a patriarchal society. I really do believe that if people had more experiences with people that weren’t like them, there would be more peace in the world. It also talks about belonging on a college campus and how they aren’t always welcoming to minority students. It talks about research on how white college students may not have the same feeling of belonging that minority students do because in the past minority students weren’t welcome. This also includes women. For example, I remember reading that at one time Harvard lecture halls didn’t even have a ladies bathroom. This book really focuses on how important social policy and systematic change are to addressing the crisis of belonging.
“His views had changed not because of those arguments, though, but because he had come to identify with a group whose members he cared about and that advocated, and lived by norms of tolerance. He was also affirmed by those in the group, which, as we’ll see, is a current list for opening peoples minds” pg 305
“If we want to build bridges across partisan divides, we must find ways to alleviate the sense of threat to people sense of belonging that’s triggered by considering opposing views” pg 305
“His views had changed not because of those arguments, though, but because he had come to identify with a group whose members he cared about and that advocated, and lived by norms of tolerance. He was also affirmed by those in the group, which, as we’ll see, is a current list for opening peoples minds” pg 305
“If we want to build bridges across partisan divides, we must find ways to alleviate the sense of threat to people sense of belonging that’s triggered by considering opposing views” pg 305
remedyreads's review against another edition
5.0
- Cohen does some tedious work in a very readable and understandable way. The first part of his book talks about studies and researchers that are foundational to the field of social psychology. These are things you will find on the NCE or CPCE. Then, he introduces more recent research that takes cues from those foundational studies to create interventions and practical applications for modern dilemmas. So, what you get is a book with premises and suggestions built on exceedingly sturdy, replicable, and generalizable results. That means a ton less digging on my part to make sure I agree with what the author is proposing. If you are wanting to get into research or to understand how research is designed in social psychology, this is a very high-level look at that.
- Cohen writes about something that affects every level of all societies. There is not a single sector of industry or group of people that would not benefit from reading this book and understanding how they do or do not contribute to feelings of belonging for those around them.
- This book starts with science but ends with action. Many of the books I read will tell you exactly why you are silly, confused, sad, or intelligent but this is the very rare book that shows you how you can overcome your sad confusion when it comes to belonging and how to deal with difficult situations that add to loneliness in every area of life. This book is extremely practical.