Belonging and Becoming in the space[s] of Higher Education

Abstract

This article explores the intimate entanglement of students Becoming and Belonging in the informal spaces of higher education. In so doing, it raises the many possible ways of belonging and becoming at a South African university. The entwined relationship’s contribution to student identity construction and the potential to exercise agency [or not] is discussed. The theme of Belonging and Becoming emanated from a PhD study that employed visual methodology, specifically photography, to capture students in informal spaces on campus that were of significance to them. The data arose from interviews with student participants and a larger body of students who viewed the photographs as part of an exhibition on campus. The article draws on the concepts of mobility and spatiality, recognising the dynamic nature of campus spaces that are constantly in a state of being socially reproduced. The article recommends that higher education’s obligations extend beyond students’ academic advancement. Keywords: informal spaces, higher education, belonging, becoming, identity construction, agency