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The Art of Belonging
The Art of Belonging advances the argument put forward in Mackay's bestselling The Good Life: a 'good life' is not lived in isolation or in the pursuit of independent goals; a good life is lived at the heart of a thriving community, among people we trust, and within an environment of mutual respect. Drawing on 50 years' experience as a social researcher, Mackay creates a fictional suburb, Southwood, and populates it with characters who - like most of us - struggle to reconcile their need to belong with their desire to live life on their own terms. He chronicles the numerous human interactions and inevitable conflicts that arise in a community when characters assert their own needs at the expense of others. Through a series of riveting, interconnected stories, Mackay reveals the beautiful symmetry of the human condition: we need communities, but communities also need us. His book is a quiet but persuasive entreaty to readers to take responsibility for the places where they live by engaging, volunteering, joining up and joining in.
The Art of Belonging is the book that will reignite the conversation about how we want to live; it will provide the framework for those who argue for a particular vision of community, one that sustains, protects and nurtures the many, and not just the few.
The Art of Belonging is the book that will reignite the conversation about how we want to live; it will provide the framework for those who argue for a particular vision of community, one that sustains, protects and nurtures the many, and not just the few.
288 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2014
43 people are currently reading
613 people want to read
About the author
Hugh Mackay
69 books131 followersHugh Mackay is a social researcher and novelist who has made a lifelong study of the attitudes and behaviour of Australians. He is the author of twelve books, including five bestsellers. The second edition of his latest non-fiction book, Advance Australia…Where? was published in September 2008, and his fifth novel, Ways of Escape was published in May 2009.
He is a fellow of the Australian Psychological Society and received the University of Sydney’s 2004 Alumni Award for community service. In recognition of his pioneering work in social research, Hugh has been awarded honorary doctorates by Charles Sturt, Macquarie and NSW universities.
He is a former deputy chairman of the Australia Council, a former chairman of trustees of Sydney Grammar School, and was the inaugural chairman of the ACT government’s Community Inclusion Board. He was a newspaper columnist for almost 30 years and now writes occasionally for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The West Australian. He is a frequent guest on ABC radio.
- Biography from Hugh Mackay's website
He is a fellow of the Australian Psychological Society and received the University of Sydney’s 2004 Alumni Award for community service. In recognition of his pioneering work in social research, Hugh has been awarded honorary doctorates by Charles Sturt, Macquarie and NSW universities.
He is a former deputy chairman of the Australia Council, a former chairman of trustees of Sydney Grammar School, and was the inaugural chairman of the ACT government’s Community Inclusion Board. He was a newspaper columnist for almost 30 years and now writes occasionally for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The West Australian. He is a frequent guest on ABC radio.
- Biography from Hugh Mackay's website
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
January 25, 2015
I didn't enjoy this book as I imagined. Although I understood the message the author was delivering, the fictionalised Southwood suburb felt contrived and too sugary.
December 15, 2015
Never have I been so relieved to reach the final page of a book. Thank God this is over.
Those who read this unsatisfying mixture of fiction and non-fiction, are most likely drawn in - as I was - by the promising title and captivating blurb. Well-marketed phrases like "It's not where you live, it's how you live" and "Mackay shows how strong communities develop our moral sense" promise us that we will learn something true and universal about the structures of human society. Maybe even about our identity as individuals, and how this corresponds to a social identity. Fellow Australian readers, remember not to judge a book by its cover.
What we have here is 296 pages repeating the phrase "We are social creatures by nature". That's about it.
Mackay, I was promised, would "[draw] on his lifelong work as a social researcher" to convince me of this fact. Now, this doesn't involve citing reliable studies and statistics - you know, the kind that belong to argumentative texts past year 10 level - but rather the description of a fictitious town where everyone is on crack apparently and obsessed with nurturing community spirit. Page after page, Mackay makes highly generalised assumptions about human nature and society, using only the accounts of his imaginary (and morosely unbelievable) characters as evidence. This in itself would not be so annoying, were it not for Mackay's highly certain and factitious register. This author is presenting his opinions as FACTS. We are social creatures. All people that live alone feel isolated. Private schools produce snobs. On and on and on... And not a citation in sight.
This is not a well-argued book. Though the subject may be interesting, the way it has been presented is not. You will find yourself learning nothing.
Hugh Mackay, you CANNOT base an argument on self-invented fiction. It assumes enormous gullibility and, frankly, stupidity on behalf of your readers.
I'm out.
Those who read this unsatisfying mixture of fiction and non-fiction, are most likely drawn in - as I was - by the promising title and captivating blurb. Well-marketed phrases like "It's not where you live, it's how you live" and "Mackay shows how strong communities develop our moral sense" promise us that we will learn something true and universal about the structures of human society. Maybe even about our identity as individuals, and how this corresponds to a social identity. Fellow Australian readers, remember not to judge a book by its cover.
What we have here is 296 pages repeating the phrase "We are social creatures by nature". That's about it.
Mackay, I was promised, would "[draw] on his lifelong work as a social researcher" to convince me of this fact. Now, this doesn't involve citing reliable studies and statistics - you know, the kind that belong to argumentative texts past year 10 level - but rather the description of a fictitious town where everyone is on crack apparently and obsessed with nurturing community spirit. Page after page, Mackay makes highly generalised assumptions about human nature and society, using only the accounts of his imaginary (and morosely unbelievable) characters as evidence. This in itself would not be so annoying, were it not for Mackay's highly certain and factitious register. This author is presenting his opinions as FACTS. We are social creatures. All people that live alone feel isolated. Private schools produce snobs. On and on and on... And not a citation in sight.
This is not a well-argued book. Though the subject may be interesting, the way it has been presented is not. You will find yourself learning nothing.
Hugh Mackay, you CANNOT base an argument on self-invented fiction. It assumes enormous gullibility and, frankly, stupidity on behalf of your readers.
I'm out.
January 29, 2015
Social researcher and analyst Hugh Mackay turns his attention in this book to what makes communities work and, not surprisingly, concentrates on the importance of individuals thinking of each other with kindness and respect (the theme of his previous book The Good Life) and being willing to contribute to community life. the book' subtitle is revealing: 'It's not where you live, it's how you live'.
He intersperses general observations with anecdotes from the lives of typical characters you might find in a well functioning community like the hypothetical Southwood, population 70,000, somewhere in suburban Sydney. Clearly the community and the individuals within it have been constructed using Mackay's vast experience as a social researcher. Although he concentrates on people's attitudes and behaviours, I could see most of his characters vividly and they served his purpose very well in my view. First the statement of a general issue, then a personalised example to illustrate. this technique makes the book accessible to a wide readership who would not read reports or more academic works covering the same issues.
The range of issues he covers is broad, and again his general discussion is informed by his research work. My main criticism of the Art of Belonging is that I would like suggestions for further reading in some areas, but there aren't any footnotes or endnotes and only a few references to particular works on the way through.
His first chapter on Community includes some typical ideas that recur throughout.
'We become deeply attached to particular places because of the life we associate with them. We are not only defined but actually sustained by our social networks. We thrive on being part of a community - whether that's familial, social, residential, intellectual, cultural, political, religious, professional or vocational. In the end it makes no real sense - no biological sense, no psychological sense - for us to dwell on our identity as individuals. that's not who we are. We're tribal. We're social. We're communal. We need to belong' (p.20).
He comes back to the theme that we need to balance the tensions caused by our need to maintain communities that sustain us with the need to ensure our personal survival and that of our families (cooperation vs competition). So many needs here I should use the thesaurus.
Building communities doesn't happen on its own. It needs engagement from community members, and it needs time. It may be just hanging out at a library or coffee shop with friends, involvement with schools or sporting clubs or churches. all of these are places where we interact with each other, and help build social capital as a result
A couple of chapters had information on subjects I hadn't thought about much - the life of Singletons (people who live alone for whatever reason and in any age group) and the ways in which the internet in general and social media in particular can create or damage community in their own right. School yard bullying, he points out, could be monitored by teachers and addressed by school counsellor when it took place in the actual schoolyard, but when it is online bullying it is almost impossible to catch and intervene. So how are parents and teachers going to help the victims of bullying and the perpetrators too?
I want to come back to this book. I borrowed a library copy but I'm heading out to buy two copies - one for me to keep and one to lend to others.
He intersperses general observations with anecdotes from the lives of typical characters you might find in a well functioning community like the hypothetical Southwood, population 70,000, somewhere in suburban Sydney. Clearly the community and the individuals within it have been constructed using Mackay's vast experience as a social researcher. Although he concentrates on people's attitudes and behaviours, I could see most of his characters vividly and they served his purpose very well in my view. First the statement of a general issue, then a personalised example to illustrate. this technique makes the book accessible to a wide readership who would not read reports or more academic works covering the same issues.
The range of issues he covers is broad, and again his general discussion is informed by his research work. My main criticism of the Art of Belonging is that I would like suggestions for further reading in some areas, but there aren't any footnotes or endnotes and only a few references to particular works on the way through.
His first chapter on Community includes some typical ideas that recur throughout.
'We become deeply attached to particular places because of the life we associate with them. We are not only defined but actually sustained by our social networks. We thrive on being part of a community - whether that's familial, social, residential, intellectual, cultural, political, religious, professional or vocational. In the end it makes no real sense - no biological sense, no psychological sense - for us to dwell on our identity as individuals. that's not who we are. We're tribal. We're social. We're communal. We need to belong' (p.20).
He comes back to the theme that we need to balance the tensions caused by our need to maintain communities that sustain us with the need to ensure our personal survival and that of our families (cooperation vs competition). So many needs here I should use the thesaurus.
Building communities doesn't happen on its own. It needs engagement from community members, and it needs time. It may be just hanging out at a library or coffee shop with friends, involvement with schools or sporting clubs or churches. all of these are places where we interact with each other, and help build social capital as a result
A couple of chapters had information on subjects I hadn't thought about much - the life of Singletons (people who live alone for whatever reason and in any age group) and the ways in which the internet in general and social media in particular can create or damage community in their own right. School yard bullying, he points out, could be monitored by teachers and addressed by school counsellor when it took place in the actual schoolyard, but when it is online bullying it is almost impossible to catch and intervene. So how are parents and teachers going to help the victims of bullying and the perpetrators too?
I want to come back to this book. I borrowed a library copy but I'm heading out to buy two copies - one for me to keep and one to lend to others.
April 22, 2015
Although it doesn't seemingly please everyone (seems as though some people want more citations and evidence), I really enjoyed the blend of his opinion and examples from his fictional town.
It's not highly academic, but an easy read with a good message to take on board.
It's a shame that those who canned it, might not have taken on board that message.
It's not highly academic, but an easy read with a good message to take on board.
It's a shame that those who canned it, might not have taken on board that message.
December 29, 2014
I heard Hugh chatting about this book on the radio and then was at a bookshop and thought why not. It was not what I expected after hearing Hugh talk. It is set in his fictional suburb of Southwood and through this he discusses how we live and blend within our communities (or not). I was expecting more social research in a factual manner, my misunderstanding of how Hugh writes. Still, makes me want to nod and say Hello to my neighbours more.
June 12, 2016
Would have preferred this to be more non-fiction in genre. The parable town and characters of Southwood seemed like a daggy Australian teledrama. (Although probably could translate well to tv). There were some touching insights into community, but on the whole it seemed like the fictional aspect of the book thinned out the valuable content. At times it seemed preachy.
February 12, 2021
The Art of Belonging is similar in content to This is Where You Belong by Melody Warnick which I read last year. However, Hugh Mackay takes a fictional approach by creating a town called Southwood to explain the different types of social connections that groups of people experience and the value of these, whereas Melody uses a biographical methodology. My personal preference is the non-fiction approach and having read other books of Mackay’s it was what I was expecting. Although a fictional approach did give Mackay more freedom to explore a wider range of issues, he was idealistic at times.
Nevertheless, The Art of Belonging is a helpful read about the importance of social connectedness and the reasons why we both gravitate towards it and shy away from it. We love having friends and connecting with them but we also love our freedom to please ourselves. In the introduction, Mackay explains this tension well. It’s the best part of the book. The various chapters expound the ideas he presents in the introduction.
Hugh Mackay writes well and the book is easy to read. His experience as a social researcher adds credibility to his conclusions.
Overall a useful read.
Nevertheless, The Art of Belonging is a helpful read about the importance of social connectedness and the reasons why we both gravitate towards it and shy away from it. We love having friends and connecting with them but we also love our freedom to please ourselves. In the introduction, Mackay explains this tension well. It’s the best part of the book. The various chapters expound the ideas he presents in the introduction.
Hugh Mackay writes well and the book is easy to read. His experience as a social researcher adds credibility to his conclusions.
Overall a useful read.
December 12, 2014
3 1 /2 stars
My View:
“It’s not where you live but how you live.”
In this very accessible narrative (Mackay uses life in a pseudo town called Southwood to make his points), we experience many “aha”moments that accompanies much nodding of the head in agreement as we read along and discover social analysis that is so relevant to how we lead our lives today. Mackay talks about how we make communities, the benefits to those engaged in communities and how society and humanity is shaped by community relationships.
It isn’t difficult to make “community” a positive experience, “when we take each other seriously and treat each other with kindness and courtesy, the suburban miracle - the township miracle, the village miracle – happens, over and over again. At the very least, we manage to live at peace with each other. Quite often we do much better than that.” (p.49) Simple words that make real sense and Mackay shows us how this can be achieved through very real interactions at a street level.
This book is full of practical advice that town planners, CEO’s, schools…individuals can take on board. Mackay makes an interesting point about herding behavior (p.65) that can could make the difference between success and failure of your next committee/workplace/community meeting: “we humans are by nature herd animals, and the long history of human civilization tells us that we are most comfortable in herds of between five and eight people. Below five, social energy is harder to generate; above eight, the dynamic changes and it becomes a more formal setting that’s less intimate and potentially more inhibiting for some members of the group.” Makes perfect sense to me…I nod my head again in agreement as I read this… I can see the implications all around me, it can apply to book groups, committees, dinner parties, study groups…the benefits in terms of positive outcomes and of inclusion is obvious and a small change like consciously deciding on numbers when setting up a group can make a big impact.
This is a great read, the language is clear and accessible, the examples easy to relate to. Wave to your neighbour as you leave home today, say “good morning” “how are you doing?” to the postie or the petrol station attendant, the checkout operator, the book seller, your teachers, your colleagues…and watch the world around you slowly change.
My View:
“It’s not where you live but how you live.”
In this very accessible narrative (Mackay uses life in a pseudo town called Southwood to make his points), we experience many “aha”moments that accompanies much nodding of the head in agreement as we read along and discover social analysis that is so relevant to how we lead our lives today. Mackay talks about how we make communities, the benefits to those engaged in communities and how society and humanity is shaped by community relationships.
It isn’t difficult to make “community” a positive experience, “when we take each other seriously and treat each other with kindness and courtesy, the suburban miracle - the township miracle, the village miracle – happens, over and over again. At the very least, we manage to live at peace with each other. Quite often we do much better than that.” (p.49) Simple words that make real sense and Mackay shows us how this can be achieved through very real interactions at a street level.
This book is full of practical advice that town planners, CEO’s, schools…individuals can take on board. Mackay makes an interesting point about herding behavior (p.65) that can could make the difference between success and failure of your next committee/workplace/community meeting: “we humans are by nature herd animals, and the long history of human civilization tells us that we are most comfortable in herds of between five and eight people. Below five, social energy is harder to generate; above eight, the dynamic changes and it becomes a more formal setting that’s less intimate and potentially more inhibiting for some members of the group.” Makes perfect sense to me…I nod my head again in agreement as I read this… I can see the implications all around me, it can apply to book groups, committees, dinner parties, study groups…the benefits in terms of positive outcomes and of inclusion is obvious and a small change like consciously deciding on numbers when setting up a group can make a big impact.
This is a great read, the language is clear and accessible, the examples easy to relate to. Wave to your neighbour as you leave home today, say “good morning” “how are you doing?” to the postie or the petrol station attendant, the checkout operator, the book seller, your teachers, your colleagues…and watch the world around you slowly change.
February 6, 2021
The answer to belonging is not in this book. I suppose by what this book lacks it does reveal the matter of belonging ( within community) is complex and therefore The Art Of Belonging does not offer the answers required by most people who would pick this up to read.
August 6, 2018
This book gives an insight about what makes people tick. It's the environment and people around them that matters. People want to feel belong to a particular place or with particular groups of people, that's why they join book clubs, interest groups and hang out at hubs such as the library, cafe or places of worship. Much of the content makes sense and Mackay has made it more visual by creating an imaginary suburb, Southwood, which can be anywhere in the world.
June 10, 2019
The Art of Belonging has a focus on people's lives within community. It is a celebration of all things good about community. It also considers some of the traps of living in tightly knitted urban areas.
My review continues here: https://ozhamada-observes.blogspot.co...
My review continues here: https://ozhamada-observes.blogspot.co...
January 14, 2018
Good concept and I enjoyed the fiction/fact combo to begin with but then it dragged on. I’m so relieved to have finished it. In summary, be kind, overlook fault, and tolerate others. Go straight to the postscript if you don’t feel like r adding the whole book.
October 8, 2019
I wanted to love this more than I did as I generally love Hugh Mackay’s writing, but it just dragged on a little with a few too many vignettes from the fictional town of Southwood. Still, some important messages about engaging with community and I’m glad I read the book.
August 12, 2021
Hugh delves into the intrinsic desire for humans to connect, explaining through a fictional neighbourhood the many connections that make a community a community, and the importance (for each of us) to find somewhere we can belong.
June 7, 2018
A competent overview of how belonging in community can play out in action.
October 22, 2018
So thought provoking. What insight in to our community
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June 15, 2020Interdependence and independent
January 18, 2021
Did not deliver what I hoped. But the message of be kind needs to be heard (likely by types who would not read such a book).
August 16, 2021
A lot of good sense, but could have been said in a quarter of the words
June 5, 2022
Excellent book, very well written and interesting perspectives regarding community.
August 26, 2022
Engaging, interesting, challenging. We are social creatures; when we don’t engage in community, our identity as humans is diminished. Community nurtures us but we also have to nurture community.
January 20, 2015
This is another timely book from Mackay investigating contemporary Australian society. In this book, he explores the tension between the individual as independent operator and as a member of one or more communities and the resulting need for balance between competitive and collaborative behaviour. Written in his usual accessible way and locating his discussion in the context of events in Southwood, a reasonably typical urban community, Mackay demonstrates once again his uncanny ability to keep his finger on the pulse of social mores and trends. I read this book hot on the heels of Anne Manne's The Life of I, which ended on a pessimistic note suggesting that the selfish side of human nature will win out in contemporary Western societies. Mackay's tone is, as ever, more positive and confident about the capacity for the majority of us to understand that our self-interest is often best served by the common interest and so is rewarded by our investment in the communities to which we belong.
January 27, 2015
The Art of Belonging by Hugh Mackay is non fiction stating the obvious. It teaches what most of us already know. However the text was written in a way that made it simple and easy to engage with the ideas put forward. Communities are the backbone of our herd mentality. Mackay touches on various aspects of communities...relationships, conflict, village life, the growth of online communities, giving an account of different sides of what makes communities whole or what causes them to crumble.
This text was based on a fictional suburb, featuring all the aspects of different groups, clubs, neighbours, hubs and interests. A little slow and unexciting but a fair account of the social nuances within communities.
This text was based on a fictional suburb, featuring all the aspects of different groups, clubs, neighbours, hubs and interests. A little slow and unexciting but a fair account of the social nuances within communities.
May 4, 2016
What an inspiring read! While I took quite a few months to pick this book up, daunted by its academic outlook, the time was just right when I did and the book was very on-point with my life path. A gr8 look into the dynamics of modern societies and their lifestyles, providing plenty of fodder to think about in terms of what it means to me to 'belong' to a place or point in time. Highly, highly recommended, but it needs to be read fully and deeply, not skimmed, to fully appreciate and ponder on the impact of content and ways in which it might impact your own lifestyles.
December 6, 2014
As a psychologist who researches the influence that social networks and identities have on people's health and quality of life, this book was of great interest to me. Hugh Mackay creates a fictional Australian suburb and explores how we relate to neighbours, newcomers, friends, and family in the age of technology through a cast of authentic characters.
November 26, 2014
recommended by Debra
Find this Great Summer Read in Townsville
Find this Great Summer Read in Townsville
February 13, 2015
I've previously enjoyed Hugh Mackay's writings. The sentiments in this book are very interesting and timely. However, I didn't enjoy the fictional town used as a vehicle to explore them. I felt that I was across the key ideas early on an found the rest s little tedious.
March 5, 2015
Hugh Mackay is a competent researcher and writer but don't expect to find any blisteringly new ideas here. He merely holds up a mirror which is yours to look at...or not. Itvtook me most of the book to settle into the fictionalised town. Just sayin'
April 2, 2015
A poignant look at the loss of community in today's society. Demonstrates that, deep down, we are creatures who crave community in all its different forms, and through community we function better as an individual.
December 19, 2016
Hugh Mackay again captures the essence of what it means to be human and the sense of belonging that is so critical for the full development of human potential. Mackay always make commonsense and his scholarly and readable works always give realistic insights for the individual and society.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews