A sociological exploration of belonging at a Thriving Places tea dance in Glasgow

Abstract

The concept of belonging is neither tangible nor measurable yet it continues to excite the sociological imagination as central to the self and the social world. This dissertation takes the concept of belonging and applies it to the context of a tea dance in Glasgow. In doing so, it takes an ageing lens to consider how belonging is experienced by older people both at the dance and beyond it. It also considers how belonging is established at the dance and the impact of this. Qualitative data was gathered using seven semi-structured interviews with attendees and one focus group with organisers. Belonging emerges as a complex experience comprising of emotional, sensory and relational dimensions inevitably shaped by biographical circumstances. The dance is found to be a place where attendees feel a strong sense of belonging, largely through relationships with others. Staff are also uncovered as great facilitators of belonging and the dance has a positive impact on sense of self that seeps beyond the event itself. This dissertation discusses the research process and provides a detailed analysis of the results. In doing so, this study simultaneously confirms and complicates current sociological conceptualisations of belonging.