Description

Friendship and the Sense of Belonging: A Lifespan Perspective on Social Connection

Introduction

People form friendships with varying degrees of intimacy throughout life. During childhood, they build connections with family, neighbors, and schoolmates. As they move into adolescence and young adulthood, they deepen these social connections through shared experiences in classrooms, college campuses, workplaces, online platforms, and recreational settings. In adulthood, friendships often develop within professional environments and local communities, while retirees tend to foster social bonds in care residences and neighborhood groups.

According to Marinucci et al. (2021), human beings are naturally social and actively seek a sense of belonging in friendships. When individuals lack this sense of connection, they become more vulnerable to psychological conditions such as depression and anxiety. The consistent friendship dynamics across the lifespan suggest that people’s need for social connection and emotional support remains stable at every stage of life, reinforcing the essential role of belonging in psychological well-being.

Literature Review

The sense of belonging stands out as a key social determinant of well-being and serves as a fundamental human need. Individuals thrive when they feel bonded, whether physically, symbolically, or even through imagined communities, with others. These social connections play a vital role in personal survival, prosperity, and the continuity of communities. As Haim-Litevsky et al. (2023) explain, people develop a sense of belonging through their perceived relationships with others and their wider community. This belonging relies on several core elements.

Membership and identification provide individuals with a sense of inclusion, while influence reflects how individuals affect and are affected by their community. Fulfillment of psychological and physical needs further reinforces belonging, showing that relationships can meet essential human requirements. Lastly, a shared emotional connection emerges from personal investment and interaction, creating deep relational history within the group. The meaningfulness, emotional closeness, and constructive nature of friendships all shape how individuals experience belonging across different social contexts.

An individual’s psychological well-being largely depends on feeling accepted, respected, and supported within their social groups. This sense of belonging is especially crucial for minority and disadvantaged groups, who often face greater barriers to inclusion (Marinucci et al., 2021). When people perceive themselves as active participants in a community or system, they begin to view themselves as essential to its fabric.

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