Overview

"We live in enormously polarized times. From politics to race, religion, gender, and class, division runs rampant. In 2020, 40 percent of each political party said that supporters of the opposing party were ""downright evil."" In 2019, hate crimes reached a ten-year high in the United States. One in five Americans suffers from chronic loneliness, with teenagers and young adults at increasing risk. Social ties at work, at school, and in our communities have frayed. How did we become so alienated? Why is our sense of belonging so undermined? What if there were a set of science-backed techniques for navigating modern social life that could help us overcome our differences, create empathy, and forge lasting connections even across divides? What if there were a useful set of takeaways for managers and educators of all stripes to create connection even during challenging times? In Belonging, Stanford University professor Geoffrey L. Cohen applies his and others' groundbreaking research to the myriad problems of communal existence and offers concrete solutions for improving daily life at work, in school, in our homes, and in our communities. We all feel a deep need to belong, but most of us don't fully appreciate that need in others. Often inadvertently, we behave in ways that threaten others' sense of belonging. Yet small acts that establish connection, brief activities such as reflecting on our core values, and a suite of practices that Cohen defines as ""situation-crafting"" have been shown to lessen political polarization, improve motivation and performance in school and work, combat racism in our communities, enhance health and well-being, and unleash the potential in ourselves and in our relationships. Belonging is essential for managers, educators, parents, administrators, caregivers, and everyone who wants those around them to thrive."

Full Product Details

9781324006183

Table of Contents

Reviews

Our present crises urgently need us to return to our signature strengths -- to cooperate, form community, and create a sense of belonging. Geoffrey Cohen's Belonging offers a clear argument for why this is so, and an inspiring pathway toward achieving this possibility. It is an exhilarating book, filled with actionable insights about making the world better around you.--Dacher Keltner, author of The Power Paradox This book shines piercing illumination on one of today's most timely topics--the causes and consequences of belonging to modern social groups. Importantly, it maps scientifically grounded routes to minimizing the harmful consequences while optimizing the positive ones. The world needs this book.--Robert B. Cialdini, author of Influence and Pre-Suasion This is perhaps the richest book on belonging you'll ever read. It's absolutely fresh--bringing together sometimes unexpected evidence and ideas to yield a transformative understanding of human belonging. And then, out of its depth--fascinatingly revealed--it surfaces state-of-the-art practical advice about how to achieve and sustain belonging--in our lives, in our most important walks of life. The inspiration one draws from every page of this book is an enhanced sense of what is possible. It revives the very thing we need most in these times: hope.--Claude Steele, author of Whistling Vivaldi Belonging is a masterpiece of social psychology - well-researched, highly engaging and fundamentally useful to anyone who wants to bring out the best in ourselves and others, whether at school, at home or in the workplace. At a time of so much social disruption and disconnection, Geoffrey Cohen has provided a very helpful and profoundly hopeful guide for creating connection and bridging divides, rooted in well-tested psychological principles, that we urgently need. Everyone should read this book!--Beverly Daniel Tatum, author of Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? and Other Conversations About Race Geoff Cohen has hit a home run. His new book Belonging combines rich science, compelling stories, and beautiful prose to illuminate the social psychological principles behind the need to belong and how to foster belonging and connection in a fractured world. Reading this book will yield insights into your own motivation and behavior and will help you understand the source of many pressing problems of our time.--Sonja Lyubomirsky, distinguished professor at the University of California, Riverside and author of The How of Happiness

"""This book shines piercing illumination on one of today’s most timely topics—the causes and consequences of belonging to modern social groups. Importantly, it maps scientifically grounded routes to minimizing the harmful consequences while optimizing the positive ones. The world needs this book."" -- Robert B. Cialdini, author of Influence and Pre-Suasion ""This book is a beacon of hope for our fractured times. A leading expert on belonging offers an engaging analysis of the science and practice of breaking down the barriers between people and building bridges to a more respectful world."" -- Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Think Again ""Belonging combines rich science, compelling stories, and beautiful prose to illuminate the social psychological principles behind the need to belong and how to foster belonging and connection in a fractured world. Reading this book will yield insights into your own motivation and behavior and will help you understand the source of many pressing problems of our time."" -- Sonja Lyubomirsky, author of The How of Happiness ""No one before Geoffrey L. Cohen has pulled together all the research relevant to diversity and inclusion in a single volume, helping us to understand belonging through a social psychological lens. The book is masterful, showcasing highly effective interventions. An inspiration!"" -- Peter Salovey, president of Yale University"

Author Information

Geoffrey L. Cohen is professor of psychology and the James G. March Professor of Organizational Studies in Education and Business at Stanford University. He lives in Palo Alto, California.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available