Definition Essay: BELONGING (not with the sense of possession, but with the sense of being a part of something)

Context, Purpose, and Audience

This semester, the ENGL 102 major writing assignments (Definition Essay, Compare-Contrast Essay, Annotated Bibliography, and Argumentation Essay) explore the overarching theme of belonging. The major assignments form a sequence and build on one another to help you develop your writing skills. The Definition Essay is the first assignment in the sequence, and its purpose is to help you discover a personal connection to the course theme. Your primary audience is the course instructor.

Task

In an 600-750 word essay, define what belonging means to you in relation to a specific place or community. In other words, define what it means to belong on your college campus, or in your hometown, or on your sports team etc. Focus on one place or community and discuss your choice with the instructor. Support your definition with two or more sources, out of which at least one should be a peer-reviewed source from a library database.

Getting Started

• Start by finding a definition of belonging. The online Cambridge Dictionary, for example, defines belonging as “a feeling of being happy or comfortable as part of a particular group and having a good relationship with the other members of the group because they welcome and accept you.” If you wish, you can look for another definition or use the one provided by the Cambridge DictionaryLinks to an external site.. (Click on the underlined text to open the link.) Just remember to cite the source!
• Choose a specific community and place as your focus. For example, you can focus on the Hawk community on the UMES campus (University of Maryland, Eastern Shore).
• Break down the definition you found. For example, you can break down the Cambridge Dictionary definition into three parts: (1) “a feeling of being happy or comfortable as part of a particular group;” (2) “having a good relationship with the other members of the group;” and (3) “they welcome and accept you.”
• Ask questions that connect the community of your choice to each part of the definition. For example: (1) With what groups of people do I interact on the UMES campus? When and why do I feel happy or comfortable? (2) Which members of these groups did I meet? How did I interact with these people? (3) When, where, and why did I feel welcome and accepted? When, where, and why did I make others feel welcome and accepted? Answer your questions and take notes.
• Look for sources that offer insights into your topic. For example, search for articles that address belonging on campus. Take notes on each source and identify short quotes (not exceeding four lines of text) that you can incorporate in your essay.
• Draw on your notes to determine what belonging means to you. Then, create a one-sentence definition that is both similar to and different from the dictionary definition. This sentence will be the draft of your thesis statement. For example: “For me, belonging at UMES means successfully collaborating with other Biology majors on lab projects, feeling supported and accepted by my track-and-field team, and having a good relationship with my professors.”
• Revise your thesis statement as needed and map your ideas so as to ensure a clear connection between the thesis, the main ideas, and the supporting details. If you wish, create an idea map using the free version of MindMupLinks to an external site.. (Click on the underlined text to open the link.) You can then export your map into an outline (click on File; click on Download as; click on Outline) and save your work.

Finding Sources

To find articles from the library databases, follow these simple steps:

• Go to the website of the Frederick Douglass Library (Links to an external site).
• In the “FDL One Search” box, enter key words related to your research interest. You can refine your search by connecting keywords with the word and.
• To narrow down the search results to academic articles, limit the search by checking the boxes “Full Text,” “Peer Reviewed,” and “Academic Journals.” You can refine the search further by limiting the range of publication dates.
• To filter the results for other types of sources – such as magazine articles – uncheck “Peer Reviewed” and “Academic Journals” and check “Magazines.” Keep the “Full Text” box checked.

Recommended Essay Structure

Please note that the pattern of organization presented below is recommended but not required. You and your instructor may adjust the pattern in ways that benefit your writing.

Introduction

• Give an example. Open with a strong (but brief) example that illustrates why belonging is important to you. For instance, remember how you felt when you first arrived at UMES.
• Quote a definition. Quote a definition of belonging you found in a dictionary or another source. Ensure a logical transition between the example, the quote, and the thesis.
• State the thesis. In one sentence, state your own definition of belonging (your thesis), which should include the main ideas of the essay body. For clarification, take a look at this example: “For me, belonging at UMES means successfully collaborating with other Biology majors on lab projects, feeling supported and accepted by my track-and-field team, and having a good relationship with my professors.” This thesis announces three main ides: (1) for me, belonging at UMES means successfully collaborating with other Biology majors on lab projects; (2) for me, belonging at UMES means feeling supported and accepted by my track-and-field team; and (3) for me, belonging at UMES means having a good relationship with my professors. These ideas will appear as the topic sentences of three (out of six or more) body paragraphs. Note that the repetition of a part of the thesis ensures a clear connection between the main ideas and the thesis. In the essay body, however, you can vary your style by using constructions with similar meanings. (“Belonging at UMES” and “being a part of the Hawk family” mean the same thing.)

Body

• Develop the main ideas. Discuss each main idea in two (or more) paragraphs. First, give examples from your personal experience; then, discuss the effects of these experiences on your sense of belonging and include research. For example, the main idea “For me, belonging at UMES means successfully collaborating with other Biology majors on lab projects” can be developed in three paragraphs: the first paragraph can give an example of a lab project that required collaboration; the second paragraph can explain the project’s effects on the collaborators’ sense of belonging; the third paragraph can cite and discuss an article on group work in science courses.
• Include research. Support your discussion with at least three quotations or paraphrases. Include a parenthetical citation after each quotation or paraphrase. Don’t quote more than four lines of text.

Conclusion

• Highlight benefits to others. How can other students benefit from your discussion of belonging?
• Identify an area of future inquiry. What aspects of belonging would you like to learn more about?

Format and Submission

• Your essay must be in correct MLA format. Please consult the resources on general formatLinks to an external site. provided by the Purdue Online Writing Lab. (Click on the underlined text to open the link.)
• At the end of the essay text, skip a line and then type the word count.
• The Works Cited must appear at the end of your essay, on a separate page. The bibliographic citations must be in MLA style. Please consult the resources on the Works Cited pageLinks to an external site. provided by the Purdue Online Writing Lab. (Click on the underlined text to open the link.)
• You MUST submit your essay on Canvas as a Microsoft Word file. Unless your instructor gives you specific permission, please do not email your assignment.