Common Read with Geoffrey Cohen 'Belonging'

ASU hosted Stanford psychologist Geoffrey L. Cohen, author of "Belonging: The Science of Creating Connection and Bridging Divides," for a virtual visit on Oct. 10, 2024 at 2 p.m. ASU's Writing Programs selected Cohen's nonfiction book as its 2024-2025 common read and Cohen discussed the book and answered questions from faculty and students at this event. Belonging is the feeling of being a part of a group that values, respects, and cares for us—a feeling that we can all cultivate in even the smallest corners of social life. In "Belonging: The Science of Creating Connection and Bridging Divides," Cohen draws on his own and others’ groundbreaking scientific research to offer simple, concrete solutions for fostering a sense of belonging in a world filled with discord and loneliness. These solutions can generate surprisingly significant and long-lasting benefits. Geoffrey L. Cohen is professor of psychology and the James G. March Professor of Organizational Studies in Education and Business at Stanford University. His research examines processes that shape people's sense of belonging and self and implications for social problems. He studies the big and small threats to belonging and self-integrity that people encounter in school, work, and health care settings, and strategies to create more inclusive spaces for people from all walks of life. This event is hosted by Writing Programs in the Department of English with support from The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at ASU. About the common read The goal of a common read program is to encourage first-year students to write about pressing social problems that are relevant to ASU’s mission as a public enterprise. By learning to write about such problems as a community, we increase the probability of finding solutions to them. This year, we will write about bridging divides.