Abstract
As a central existential resource, belongingness has a prominent place in human experience and is therefore also the object of interest in literary texts. This article aims to discuss three dimensions of the concept of belongingness: (1) the social dimension and the hierarchies of belonging, (2) the body and its mediation role, and finally, (3) belonging as an affective disposition linked to existential meaningfulness. In a last step, this paper will discuss the importance of belongingness and its potential in literary studies. From this perspective, belongingness is identified as an unstable resource, the focus of ongoing negotiations that define the configurations and modalities of participation of the different members of a socio-cultural community.
Keywords:
belongingness; social dimension; body and mediation; affective disposition; literary studies