FEDERATION FOR THE HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
Young Canadian Adults Lack a Sense of Community Belonging: This Calgary Researcher has a Solution

University of Calgary researcher Quan Nguyen to unveil study findings at Congress 2024, Canada's largest humanities and social sciences conference, taking place June 12-21

With recent data from Statistics Canada pointing to a lower sense of community among young adults with only 37% to 44% of those aged 15 to 34 reporting a strong sense of belonging compared to 47% to 57% of those aged 35 and older a Calgary researcher has found a direct link between decreased belonging and perceived discrimination, and is now calling for more inclusive and equitable strategies.

"We confirmed an ongoing, persistent and negative relationship between discrimination and sense of belonging among young people, in particular among minority groups," said Quan Nguyen, a social work researcher, practitioner and educator at University of Calgary.

"The most effective way to strengthen community belonging among this population is to advocate for inclusive action and policies," he added. "Not only do marginalized populations need to receive more resources for their local community programs, but policy makers must continue to focus on ongoing anti-discrimination initiatives in support of minority groups."

Nguyen will present findings from his analysis of the relationship between perceived discrimination and sense of belonging among young Canadian adults at the upcoming Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences (Congress 2024), Canada's largest academic gathering and one of the most comprehensive in the world, taking place June 12 to 21 in Montreal.

Billed as a leading conference on the critical conversations of our time, Congress 2024 themed "Sustaining shared futures" serves as a platform for the unveiling of thousands of research papers and presentations from social sciences and humanities experts worldwide. With more than 8,000 scholars, graduate students and practitioners expected to participate, the event focuses on what must be done to bring forth solutions for today and sustain the systems of tomorrow, with the goal of inspiring ideas, dialogue and action that create a more diverse, sustainable, democratic and just society. 

At Congress, Nguyen will share findings from both an in-depth literature review and quantitative analysis of 2020 General Social Survey - Social Identity data that focused on 6,326 young adults aged 15-34 representing diverse social identities, including age, gender, generation status, visible minority status, marital status, disability status, religious affiliation, official language, education level, and household income. The study highlighted the significant negative impact of discrimination on social inclusion and participation, and demonstrated how it is hindering young people from forming positive social bonds at the local level.

Whereas earlier studies suggest that immigrant families experience increased belonging as they assimilate into Canadian culture, Nguyen found the opposite, that second- and third-generation immigrants are actually feeling a declined sense of belonging and it often leads them to gravitate more towards bonding within their ethnic identities only.

"It could be due to the generation gap or technological advances like social media that present more opportunity for discrimination, but as society changes and evolves, we need to consider these situations," said Nguyen, noting that people can perceive discrimination in different ways.

One of the most important findings from his study is that young people living with disability report the weakest sense of belonging in the face of discrimination, with 58.6% saying they face discrimination and 59.8% feeling less belonging than their peers. This insight underscores the need to foster acceptance and supportive relationships, and important role that support community-based initiatives, programs, and networks play in improving belonging.

Despite reporting of discrimination, women and people with strong religious affiliations have a stronger sense of belonging due to their active participation in community and religious networks. Certain racialized community members, namely South Asian, Filipino, West Asian, and Arab Canadians, maintain a stronger sense of community belonging. Nguyen's analysis found no significant link between sense of belonging and language proficiency or certain sociodemographic factors such as age, education level, and household income.

"The critical take-away from this research is that discrimination significantly hinders a sense of community belonging, but inclusive actions and policies can make a positive difference. We can all play a role in fostering more inclusive and supportive communities for young people," said Nguyen, applauding his own university's emphasis on equity, diversity and inclusion in their strategies as an example of how policies can serve to unite different populations and ensure representation.

"Sense of community belonging has a significant relationship to national belonging," he added. "If we want to build a more cohesive society, we need to continue to explore this marked decline in sense of belonging as young people transition to adulthood and develop inclusive and equitable strategies to enhance their community resiliency."

Organized by the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences in partnership with McGill University, Congress 2024 is sponsored by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Universities Canada, the Canada Foundation for Innovation, University Affairs, Sage, and The Conversation Canada.

Registration - which includes 140+ keynote and open Congress sessions, with a virtual attendance option for many presentations - is $30. Visit https://www.federationhss.ca/en/congress2024 to register for a community pass and access the program of events open to the public.