Cultural participation and belonging

This chapter discusses material generated in the interview component of the Australian Cultural Fields project to consider how research participants saw their own various forms of cultural participation, and how they expressed their sense of belonging. The stories and examples of cultural participation and belonging shared by respondents during interviews intersect in varying ways with the larger body of survey data discussed in Part II. The value of this material does not stem from their subjects being typical or statistically representative: instead they are usefully illustrative of the varied ways that participation and belonging can be found ‘on the ground’ in contemporary Australia.