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Abstract

This thesis explored individual’s understanding of a sense of belonging while living in kinship care, with a particular emphasis on the personal stories and narratives that shape their understanding of connection, identity, and family. The concept of sense of belonging, widely explored in schools, disability communities, and migration studies, encompasses individual, community, and cultural dimensions, contributing to subjective well-being. However, little research has focused specifically on sense of belonging in kinship care, with existing studies often combining foster care and kinship care, making it difficult to understand the unique experiences of individuals in kinship care placements. Using narrative inquiry, this study gathers insights from adults who have aged out of kinship care, asking them to reflect on their experiences of belonging during their placements. The data was analyzed through both narrative analysis, which focuses on temporality (past, present, and future experiences), and reflexive thematic analysis. Themes are derived from both inductive and deductive codes. The findings reveal five key themes: object belonging, belonging to place and neighborhood, belonging to people, school belonging, and belonging as an ongoing process. These themes are interconnected, showing how bonds to objects, people, and places shape the sense of belonging over time. Transitional objects, for example, played a significant role in the initial stages of attachment until a more stable sense of belonging was formed within the kinship home or community. The study also highlights the importance of time in the development of belonging, as it requires development of reciprocal relationships between the child and caregivers. Belonging was portrayed as a gradual process rather than an instantaneous feeling, where mutual effort fosters deeper emotional connections. Overall, this research contributes to the understanding of sense of belonging in kinship care and adds valuable perspectives to theories of attachment, place attachment, and ecological systems.