Belonging as Capacity: Strengthening Bonds in the Era of Neoliberal Governmentality

Abstract

This article theorizes belonging within the context of neoliberalism in North America. Drawing on a sociology of emotions resting on an Indigenous epistemology, this article theorizes how the feeling of belonging capacitates. That is, how belonging to a community, territory, occupational group, etc. fosters a sense of acceptance and continuity even within the era of neoliberal governmentality which governs bodies by governing less and promotes happiness and self-realization while obliterating social inequity. The article provides rich sociological examples into the Indigenous experience of belonging noting that when an individual has a sense of belonging, they are better able to strengthen bonds with their sense of self and with others. This analysis brings a unique definition of belonging while emphasizing the importance of acknowledging that belonging is a feeling that crosses cultural barriers.

Keywords: sociology of emotions; Indigenous peoples; neoliberalism; governmentality; embodied in/capacity theory