Investigating the level of community belonging in 7-year olds

Abstract

Sense of Belonging could be defined as an abstract feeling closely associated with one's communal identity. The interaction with other members in the community where you feel as being needed and respected thus leading to a sense of security and ownership. In this dissertation, the attention is focused on the relationship of Sense of Belonging and the level of environmental awareness. It strives to analyse any strengthening effect that Sense of belonging can have on local action by affecting the perception of the environment. The study was performed with 7-year-old boys and girls all residing in different zones of Mosta. The data was collected by means of individual interviews. From the results obtained, it was observed that there could be an indication of a possible relationship between one's Sense of Belonging. Environmental awareness and environmental responsible behaviour. Another observation made was that young children's attitude towards the environment is governed by social issues rather then environmental issues. It was concluded that community-based interventions are needed to decrease environment destructive behaviours and to increase environment-protective behaviours. The implications of these findings for environmental education and for the development of ecological attitudes and behaviour are discussed. Also, suggestions for further research, and the potential importance of Sense of Belonging development and maintenance are given.