We all need to feel that we belong to something bigger than ourselves, that links us to others. But how do we define that little 'something'?
What does the sense of belonging really mean?
Is it a universal notion or something deeply individual?
How is it constructed over time, influenced by our experiences, our culture and our environment?
Is our national identity the only source of this attachment, or are there other equally powerful forms of belonging?
In France and the United States, student-writers give us some answers in a series of audio stories in which the personal often blends with the political.
"Sense of belonging" is a series produced as part of a program launched by Frictions, born out of the collaboration between Paris 8's MFA in Creative Writing and Nonfiction Writing program of the University of IOWA. It was made possible thanks to the support of the US Embassy in Paris.
We all need to feel that we belong to something bigger than ourselves, that links us to others. But how do we define that little 'something'?
What does the sense of belonging really mean?
Is it a universal notion or something deeply individual?
How is it constructed over time, influenced by our experiences, our culture and our environment?
Is our national identity the only source of this attachment, or are there other equally powerful forms of belonging?
In France and the United States, student-writers give us some answers in a series of audio stories in which the personal often blends with the political.
"Sense of belonging" is a series produced as part of a program launched by Frictions, born out of the collaboration between Paris 8's MFA in Creative Writing and Nonfiction Writing program of the University of IOWA. It was made possible thanks to the support of the US Embassy in Paris..
|| THE EPISODES
-
Sense of belongingDespite the linguistic distance between Lina and her father, who was born in Morocco, the lullaby he used to sing to her as a child in Arabic profoundly influenced her imagination and writing -
Sense of belongingAt the coming of age, Ivan sees his best friend drift away and makes a promise to himself: save the friendship! -
Sense of belongingConnie and Aaron find belonging in their ugliness. This audio essay is an interwoven exploration of the rejections they have faced as ugly disabled bodies and the refuge they’ve created. -
Sense of belongingNicolas, proud of his Basque heritage, explores his identity quest through rock, meals at his abuela's, and political analysis. -
Sense of belongingWhy is it that entering an unknown space can feel like coming home or trying to sit at the cruelest and most fashionable table in a high school cafeteria? -
Sense of belongingFrom the rooftops of Kathmandu to the cornfields of the Midwest, Sarah and Wyatt explore what our food says about us. -
Sense of belongingWhen science fiction meets reality: four passenger are interviewed just before they take the plunge into the unknown, setting off for another planet. -
Sense of belongingCaelainn takes us on a journey as she delves deep into the echoes of a lost language, tracing her ancestral roots through the rugged terrain of Ireland. -
Sense of belongingJustin wasn't born in Paris, but he feels right at home here. Blame it on the memories he's created there, perhaps?
