My Essay on a Place where I felt belonged – Adam Ishak

Essentially, I will be explaining how Intersectionality converges with a place where I have felt
belonged, and how it assist’s in my understanding of why intersectionality determines many factors
and issues relating to belonging.

Conceptually, Intersectionality is the essence of systemic oppression, which can be rooted to the fact
that inter sectionalism is the idea that humans define and interpret other beings based on their
characteristics and features that captivate who they are. This includes prejudice based on race,
gender, social class, and age, as well as more discrete factors such as disability or gender, taking into
account that all circumstances will keynote the reference of intersectionality.

Taking Intersectionality into account, Belonging is a key aspect in life as it can make or break factors
which are essential to mental and physical attributes that support who you are. This compromises of
family and friendship, to community involvement such as religious groups, as well as less prominent
ones, particularly professional settings like a workplace. In context however, one of the most
influential factors that heavily depend on sense of belonging is education. Education is entitled to all
citizens who are offered it; however, some are treated wrongly compared to others, linking to
discrimination. This can be shown in a recent study about students who attend university, which
states that there is a ‘13% gap between the likelihood of white students and students from BAME
(Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) backgrounds getting a 1st or 2:1 degree classification’. Essentially,
this figure states that a sense of belonging can have a major impact on the success of a person who is
classified as “BAME” due to issues such as injustice and discrimination.

Fundamentally, Discrimination can be rooted back to the August 1619, where the Early days of
slavery begun, highlighting how sense if belonging can also impact your life entirely. Discrimination is
the belief of treating someone less favourably than others due to now protected characteristics.
These characteristics include age, disability, gender, race, and religion in addition to more prevailing
factors such as skin colour. As stated earlier, discrimination towards skin colour is modernly denoted
as “racism” and is a lighter for huge fires, including not having a sense of belonging in a specific area
or region. Linking back to the scripture on the decline of success in students who are classified as
BAME, a figure shows that ‘the gap between the likelihood of White students and students from
BAME backgrounds getting a 1st or upper second class degree is among the most stark – 13% among
2017-18 graduates’ highlighting how believing like you don’t feel belonged impacts your social and
mental capability, limiting you from achieving greatness.

There are a range of ways in which others are prevented from feeling belonged through social,
emotional, and systemic factors. This includes experiences of bullying, from name calling to racism,
as well as disrespect among peers. Domestic factors, however, can also be listed. Examples of this is
low income, lack of free time and personal factors such as disability or stress. In Addition, the four
levels of oppression are multiplied by the ongoing factors listed, which can further hinder your ability
to achieve. An example of this is cases of individual oppression investigated by National Equity
Project (2022)[Link]
which can be referred to in the first level of oppression ‘Individual.’ Here, it is said that a teacher
holds an unconscious mental model that her students of colour are not “college material.” This belief
left un- checked leads to lower expectations of work quality, which allows for less rigorous methods,
hence hindering the capabilities of that student achieving greater, which is instead capped at a
certain point due to the discrimination bought upon by the teacher.

In context, there are many ways which can weaken your sense of belonging towards a particular
area, which can hinder the development of meaningful connections, preventing you from performing
at your top capability and having limited opportunities.

Taking Belonging into account, a key feature which links with how correlated one can be with
something else is through Identity. Identity refers to the qualities, beliefs, and expressions of a
person, essentially making them unique and defining” who they are “. Taking this into grounds,
Identity is essentially built upon advantages and recourses which can influence a person's sense of
belonging, as well as their set of circumstances. This can be identified by the wheel of power and
privilege, which shows how several factors within subject's state if a person is at an advantage or
disadvantage. These factors also link to the sense of belonging towards a person, showing how those
who are controlling the power dynamic will have the influential side towards sense of belonging.
Towards the middle of the wheel are characteristics linked to a citizen of power, with features such as
English and rich, however those factors towards the end of the wheel are classified as “marginalised”
with features such as poor and homeless classified as “lower options.” A study by PhD holder Joe, K
(2019) [Link]
code/201906/understanding-intersectional-identities/amp investigated identity in intersectionality.
He declared that he was 56 yrs old, white, male, Jewish, married, gay, a Detroiter and a sexual abuse
survivor. Conceptually, he stated that if someone were to meet him, they might assume he lives in
white male privilege, due to the fact he is a white man. He further implies that because of this, he
has been able to use the benefit of being referred to as a ‘white man’ to attain greater things in life
than others would. His way of understanding Identity overlaps with Kimberlé Crenshaws, who first
coined this idea in 1989. She was a black law professor who also faced systemic oppression through
the justice system as she faced racial and gender discrimination. However, her injustice was only
classified as one type of discrimination. Therefore, Kimberlé Crenshaws’ research showed the flaws
in the justice system, and she created this theory in order for people to consider a person based on
who they are, not what they are. Due to this information by Kimberlé and Joe Kort, in context the
Intersectionality identity theory asserts that people are often disadvantaged or privileged by multiple
sources: their race, age, class, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion and other identity markers.

Regarding Sense of belonging as the main subject of the essay overall, the place I have chosen to
represent where I feel belonged the greatest is the Mosque, my place of worship. The mosque is
accessible to anyone, emitting ideas of belonging to everyone who enters, whether old or young. It is
constructed to incarnate the house of God, approving of anyone’s entry to feel welcomed. It is built
in urban locations, promoting access to anybody who wishes to enter, illustrating how people are
supposed to feel belonged in a mosque. In addition to this, the Islamic quote by Prophet Muhammad
“The entire creation is the family of Allah and the most beloved of creation to Allah are those who do
good to his family. When we share our belongings with others, it creates love and unity” shows
belonging through accepting others, whether it may be through entering a mosque or showing
respect, essentially promotes closeness through others which therefore strengthens the sense of
belonging in a community. Furthermore, it is a customary to greet others with a handshake and
Salam, which thoroughly increases social skills, accelerating confidence and solidifying your inclusion
with the wider community. Aside from this, there are many other ways in which being sociable
increases the sense of belonging towards an area. Recently, a study by Kendra.C
(2025)[Link] Includes how showing
positivity and sociability strengthens closeness. She states that having shared values and identities
with peers and others contribute to a sense of belonging, further providing information that a
mosque increases belonging by allowing those with shared values and beliefs around similar ages to
indulge and communicate, subsequently intensifying the bond and closeness between them.
Moreover, Kendra announces that “The sense of belongingness, also known as the need to belong,
refers to a human emotional need to affiliate with and be accepted by members of a group.
Examples of this may include the need to belong to a peer group at school, to be accepted by co-
workers, to be part of an athletic team, or to be part of a religious group. This quote further proofs
that through sharing ideas and communicating about similarities aids in solidifying the sense of
belonging in a mosque. Hence everything I have mentioned earlier, the reason I believed the mosque
is the place I feel the most belonged is due to the fact that everything Kendra has previously stated
about sense of belonging, along with the other information I have provided aligns with my past
experiences during closeness in a mosque. When I first started attending mosque lessons, I was
unfamiliar with anyone present, however through showing confidence and sociability, I was able to
share my passions and interests with others, therefore making friends and ultimately making me feel
as if I belonged. This was through believing I had a purpose of attending, which was through
communicating with my teacher and friends. Through this routine, I developed a closeness to the
mosque, which heightened why I believed I felt belonged there. Fundamentally, through
collaborating with others and distributing ideas, not only did I increase my social skills, but also
developed my belonging towards the place I felt connected to, essentially highlighting how sharing
beliefs and values with others, as-well as being sociable heightens chances of feeling included in a
community.

Regarding sense of inclusivity towards a mosque, an online publication of the Abusulayman Centre
for Global Islamic Studies at the George Mason University in America provided information about the
mosque (or masjid) being an area of inclusion, as well as a place of worship. The article was written
by Tazeen M. Ali (2023)[Link]
who referred to the mosque as ‘a site of inclusivity’ promoting that everyone is entitled to feel
welcome, no matter who they are or where they come from, as seen by Prophet Muhammads house
which was also a place of religious instructions and social gatherings. The article is then followed up
by the WMA (Women’s Mosque of America) who are a multiracial and multiethnic group. They
believe that the mosque should not only be a place for prayer, but also for a space to inculcate
Muslims with the value of gender, racial, and ethnic equality. This belief in its own right suggests that
the mosque is free from discrimination, highlighting that you are free to do what you believe,
strengthening the sense of belonging towards the mosque as you are free from judgement and
prejudice from others. Conceptually, the mosque and its people as a whole are free of discrimination
meaning you are entitled to cultivate your beliefs and ideas with other people without being judged,
ultimately securing the belonging you develop in the area.

Personally, strengthening my sense of belonging towards the masjid has affected me beneficially in
many ways, such as developing my devotion towards Allah as I attend the mosque more often,
ultimately making me a better Muslim. Aside from this however, I have also attained social skills
through communication and collaboration, which boosts my self - assurance and helps me approach
others with confidence. Furthermore, it has provided comfort, as I can reassure myself that there is a
place where a feel belonged, therefore motivating me to do better in my recreational activities.

In conclusion, I personally believe that the mosque has made me feel a powerful sense of belonging
as I was able to connect with others more efficiently and communicate with others to develop
closeness. Furthermore, others may create spaces of belonging by bringing together people who
share the same interests and values. Essentially, there Is a heavy importance of belonging in one’s life
as it increases practical skills and overall, increases chances of success in life, whether it be through
education or making relationship.