Professor Mhairi Beaton

This chapter focuses on the legislative and ethical issues surrounding listening to all children and young people, including those with Special Educational Needs, and the leadership role that a Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) can adopt in promoting this practice within their educational context. The role and remit of the SENCO in educational provision in England is set out in the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Code of Practice. The SEND Code of Practice states that there is a clear focus on the participation of children and young people - and their parents - in decision-making at both individual and strategic levels. J. Flutter and J. Rudduck outline a list of benefits based on extensive research over a period of ten years in a wide variety of schools. These are helpfully listed under the following headings: benefits for pupils, benefits for teachers and benefits for schools more widely.

This chapter provides a comparative study of education provision for the Indigenous language of Saami and the minority heritage of Scottish Gaelic. Due to historical factors, both languages are considered endangered according to UNESCO listings. Whilst North Saami and Scottish Gaelic receive government support, which would appear to be providing a reasonably stable position at least within their geographically core areas, assimilation continues resulting in the overall numbers of speakers remaining small. As education is viewed as key to the promotion of both languages, following an introduction to the background historical and societal context of both language contexts, the chapter presents educational practices and challenges in education for comparison over the past forty years. The comparative study highlights that similarities between these two languages exist in language revitalisation efforts to reverse language shift but the forms vary. The chapter concludes with some emerging recommendations for the successful maintenance and revitalisation of minority heritage and Indigenous languages in the twenty-first century despite the continued dominance of surrounding majority languages.

While many texts address issues of equity, inclusion, and diversity, they are almost all focused on the global South, and miss the lessons that can be learned from Northern regions. This book begins to fill the gap in understanding how to create an education system that allows students to grow up grounded in their own cultures and languages, regardless of whether they are newcomers or Indigenous, and also to be able to navigate the broader world. It is structured around two main themes: (1) supporting teachers in addressing diversity and inclusion in the classroom, including consideration of language and identity issues; and, (2) engendering solutions to structural and geographical challenges in education in the circumpolar north. Each of the book’s chapters touches on at least one of these themes, and many of them both, from a geographically and culturally diverse set of perspectives. While each can be read as a standalone piece, the collection as a whole gives a robust and unique set of insights into equity and inclusion issues in education across the circumpolar north. In this introduction, we provide a brief overview of the chapters.

This comprehensive resource provides a range of perspectives on inclusion, giving Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators (SENCOs) the opportunity to consider the principles and practice that underpin their leadership role. Offering a blend of academic and professional knowledge, each chapter explores different aspects of the role of the SENCO and supports areas that will be considered as part of the National Award for SENCOs. A variety of essential topics are covered, from the importance of SEND provision and multi-disciplinary practice, to the role of the SENCO and leadership. Key features of this book include: • Contributions by leaders of the National Award for Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators working with trainee SENCOs across the country • A focus on encouraging SENCOs to think deeply about their own individual practice through engagement with cutting-edge research • A flexible structure that can be read as a whole, or dipped in and out of as professional learning needs require This book provides an opportunity for readers to engage with a multiplicity of voices and approaches, allowing them to critically explore their role as leaders of SEND provision in schools. It is an invaluable resource both for students and those already within the role of Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator.

This chapter focuses on the legislative and ethical issues surrounding listening to all children and young people, including those with Special Educational Needs, and the leadership role that a Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) can adopt in promoting this practice within their educational context. The role and remit of the SENCO in educational provision in England is set out in the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Code of Practice. The SEND Code of Practice states that there is a clear focus on the participation of children and young people – and their parents – in decision-making at both individual and strategic levels. J. Flutter and J. Rudduck outline a list of benefits based on extensive research over a period of ten years in a wide variety of schools. These are helpfully listed under the following headings: benefits for pupils, benefits for teachers and benefits for schools more widely.

This chapter examines the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators (SENCO’s) role in leading assessment processes and how a SENCO’s promotion of both formative and summative assessment might enhance inclusion. Summative assessment describes assessment taking place at particular points of time, such as at the end of the academic year or key stage. Summative assessment may be used to provide a snapshot of the achievement or attainment of individual pupils, often in order to report pupil progress to parents. In leading assessment, therefore, SENCOs have a role to play in facilitating practitioner reflections on practice and building a culture of professional enquiry around learners, which use formative assessments as a starting point. Critical triangulation is the use of a range of assessment systems, methods and approaches with an openness to the possibility that they may each reveal different things about the learning undertaken.

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explores the contributors’ commitment to inclusion and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision of the highest quality. It describes inclusive relationships that lie at the heart of effective SEND provision. The book considers the complexity and uncertainty that the practitioner must embrace to create new opportunities for young people in educational settings. It looks at the language of SEND from past to present. The book focuses on the philosophy of Wittgenstein, they argue that language matters and is more than fashion or political correctness. It examines the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators (SENCO’s) role in leading professional learning for inclusion for all staff. The book discusses the benefits of a lesson study approach for teacher development. It considers the ways in which a leadership approach is vital in supporting children and young people with medical needs in school.

Communities across the world are increasingly facing growing diversity resulting from global and local migration, including Indigenous families moving from their traditional areas to urban environments. In educational contexts, classrooms have become more diverse in nature, and in the future, this diversity is expected to increase (Adams, Bell & Griffin, 2007). This diversity has the potential to enrich communities, but it can also threaten social cohesion and well-being posing professional dilemmas for educators seeking to include all young people in social and educational settings. This is especially the case when those children and young people who are potentially vulnerable within education provision must compromise their identity to feel they are being included in those settings.

A key assumption underpinning formative assessment strategies is that individual pupils must be fully involved in the process. While such engagement and attention on the individual is important, studies suggest that teachers do not always readily engage with formative assessment as a reciprocal process which involves pupils. Additionally, a focus on individual differences between pupils can be problematic if the work that is set for some is differentiated to such an extent that they are not able to participate in classroom activities with others. Inclusive pedagogy is an approach to teaching and learning that attends to individual differences between pupils but avoids the marginalisation that can occur when pedagogical responses are designed only with individual needs in mind. Using participant observation and video footage from three classrooms that captured ‘learning moments’ identified by teachers and pupils, this study documents how the professional craft knowledge of teachers develops as they learn to use what their pupils have to say about learning in the context of whole class teaching. By concentrating on the findings from one site, this paper shows how teachers can use what they learn from listening to pupils’ self-assessments of their learning in ways that meet the standard of inclusive pedagogy.

The responses to COVID-19 have been different across the countries in the world, but nevertheless the pandemic has resulted in a state of emergency in all of them. It can be stated that COVID-19 has disrupted the “normal” routines of societies. In this chapter we present experiences of when we as academics tried to cultivate compassion amongst our students while teaching in higher education during a crisis. The textual and visual data of this study, our narratives, and images come from four different countries, from four different higher-educational contexts. These personal experiences and the differences in them are described and systematically analysed to understand them. According to our results, students were supported in multiple ways on three different levels in the academic context (administrational, operational, and individual). As a conclusion, we highlight four practical outcomes for future work with students during crisis.

Over the last thirty years, there has been an international aspiration to make education provision both inclusive and equitable with resultant policy production at both international and national level. Over time, the focus of this activity has moved from the specific needs of disabled students to consideration of how schools might celebrate diversity and provide effective learning for all students. Teacher education is viewed as a key factor in creating school environments where all young people have equity of access to relevant learning opportunities no matter their background or circumstances. This paper presents six case studies from Finland, New Zealand, Lithuania, Scotland, Norway and Canada charting the changes made over time to educational provision within their national context aiming to make schools more inclusive. Each case study highlights some of the ways in which teacher education has adapted in response to these policy changes to prepare new teachers to work in inclusive school settings. Common to all case studies is the identification that further research and change is required to meet the professional learning requirements of our future teachers. In response to this identified need. Highlighting the complex nature of providing inclusive education for all, it is suggested that future teacher education must continue to explore new ways to enhance the professional expertise of teachers to be inclusive of all learners in their daily practice.

To foster children and young people’s skills, dispositions and understanding that underpin a voice agenda, practices need to be developed that support this from the earliest age. This article explores issues relating to this complex, challenging and under-researched area from the perspective of practitioners working with children aged from birth to seven. Using vignettes of practice, we explore practical and pedagogical examples and take the opportunity to deepen our understanding of the elicitation of voice through the lens of the eight factors previously identified in the Look Who’s Talking Project. Through this approach we highlight practices that elicit voice as a key element of children’s rights in a localised way, and exemplify productive connections between theory and practice.

A tanulmány egy olyan nemzetközi projekt eredményeit és fejlesztéseit összegzi, melynek célja az inkluzív oktatás támogatása érdekében gyakorló tanárok és tanárjelöltek tanulását segítő anyagok kidolgozása és fejlesztése. A projekt abból az elméleti alapvetésből indul ki, hogy a komplex iskolai problémák kezeléséhez a szereplők közti együttműködés szükséges, ehhez készít támogató anyagokat. Jelen tanulmány a projektben zajló fejlesztés elméleti kereteinek rövid összegzését követően a projektben kifejlesztett eszközöket mutatja be, majd ismerteti egy pilot képzés fejlesztésének vizsgálatát. A pilot fejlesztése a kutatás alapú tervezés megközelítésre épül, ennek vizsgálati elemeit és eredményeit ismertetjük a kutatási részben. Az eredmények azt mutatják, hogy a tananyagok segítik a közös probléma-feldolgozást, az eszközök különösen sikeresnek mutatkoztak a pedagógusok többszempontú problémamegoldásának ösztönzésében.

Accessible summary

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explores the contributors’ commitment to inclusion and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision of the highest quality. It describes inclusive relationships that lie at the heart of effective SEND provision. The book considers the complexity and uncertainty that the practitioner must embrace to create new opportunities for young people in educational settings. It looks at the language of SEND from past to present. The book focuses on the philosophy of Wittgenstein, they argue that language matters and is more than fashion or political correctness. It examines the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators (SENCO’s) role in leading professional learning for inclusion for all staff. The book discusses the benefits of a lesson study approach for teacher development. It considers the ways in which a leadership approach is vital in supporting children and young people with medical needs in school.

Teachers across the circumpolar north often share similar experiences working in small communities in remote areas with distinctive cultures and livelihoods. However, teacher education programmes tend to be universal, ignoring an ecological understanding of teaching. This paper describes the findings from a desktop study investigating the specific demands made of teachers working in rural schools and the implications for teacher education in supporting them to develop the necessary self-efficacy for this role. The results indicate that attention to specific teaching and teacher competences is required but that this must be undertaken with an awareness of the importance of place-based education.

The University of the Arctic is a virtual organisation of universities, colleges, research institutes and other organisations concerned with education and research in and about the North. Within the organisation, Thematic Networks are the primary means of cooperation between member institutions. Through the Thematic Networks faculty and researchers can facilitate knowledge generation and sharing across the North based on common interests and priorities within this area. This feature article describes the formation of the Thematic Network for Teacher Education for Social Justice and Diversity in Education; its values, themes, goals and activities.

Grounded in children’s rights, this article advances understanding of the affordances and constraints in implementing Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in educational settings with young children – those under 7. It starts from the premise that if we are to foster democratic skills and understanding in children and young people, we need to develop practices that support this from the earliest age. The article presents the outcomes of a seminar series facilitating dialogue among international academics working in the field and a range of early years practitioners. This opportunity for extended dialogue led to the development of a rich and sophisticated conceptual clarity about the factors that need to be considered if Article 12 is to be realised with very young children. Eight factors were identified as pivotal for consideration when facilitating voices with this age group: definition; power; inclusivity; listening; time and space; approaches; processes; and purposes. This article explores each in turn and proposes a series of provocations and questions designed to support practitioners in their endeavour to elicit young children’s voices.

Within Scottish education, teacher education is based in Schools of Education in university settings. Teacher educators provide theoretical understandings which are then implemented on practicum. All classroom teachers are expected to adopt the role of mentor to both student teachers on practicum and those teachers in their induction year prior to full registration with the teachers’ professional body. This chapter is underpinned by the assumption that as beneficiaries of the education provided by teachers in schools, pupils have valuable information to share with teacher educators as to how they might better prepare student teachers for twenty-first century classrooms. Donaldson (2011) advocates the need for both teachers and teacher educators to become enquiring professionals and this can be interpreted as adopting an openness to learning; including learning from the primary beneficiaries of education - the pupils. The chapter explores the benefits and challenges for all teacher educators, whether based in universities or as student and inductee mentors in schools, in becoming enquiring professionals.

First paragraph: Look who’s talking: Eliciting the voices of children from birth to seven was an international seminar series funded by the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland, that brought together researchers and practitioners who work with young children (birth to seven) to give and support ‘voice’ in respect to different aspects of their lived experience; in other words, to elicit voice. The intention was to create a space for individuals working in this relatively underdeveloped field to work in a collaborative process, engaging with associated theory and practice. The aims of the seminars were: to move debate forwards; to develop guidelines and provocations for practice; and to advance understandings of the affordances and constraints on the implementation of Article 12 of the UNCRC with young children. The series comprises two seminars, one in January and one in June 2017, each of three and a half days duration. The first focused predominantly on mapping the field, sharing and discussing experiences and practices and exploring the affordances and constraints of eliciting the voices of those aged seven and under. It is this seminar on which this submission focuses. The second, held in June 2017, aimed to synthesise participants’ thinking and identify the needs and opportunities for development within the field.

This book advances a new understanding of inclusive education that addresses the limitations inherent in current approaches that problematize differences between learner groups by promoting a view of difference as an aspect of human ...

Introduction and context Developing the Framework Principles of the revised National Framework for Inclusion Reflections on the collaborative processes in developing the Framework Using the Framework Conclusion References Full Article Figures & data References Citations Metrics Reprints & Permissions PDF Abstract This paper reports on the collaborative development of a ‘National Framework for Inclusion’ under the auspices of the Scottish Teacher Education Committee by a working party representing each of the Scottish Universities providing initial teacher education. Recent research, international legislation and Scottish education policy have refocused the notion of ‘special educational needs’ based on ideas of individual deficit to support and provision for all learners. As teachers are therefore charged with responsibility for an increasingly diverse population of learners, the National Framework of Inclusion was developed to support both pre-service and qualified teachers to work inclusively to provide fair and meaningful experiences for all learners. The paper examines the underpinning principles of the Framework, describes the collaborative process of its development and provides one innovative example of its use.

Despite ongoing development of the international understanding of the values and goals of inclusive education, attempts to implement it remain incomplete. This study's aim was to clarify how participation and agency are defined in research on inclusive education and how participation and agency might be more effectively promoted to enhance inclusive education. The research was conducted as a conceptual analysis with the concepts of student participation and agency as the main focus of the analysis. The conceptual analysis process surfaced five emergent themes: recognition of societal barriers at school; appreciation of student diversity and cultural competence; community and collaboration with various stakeholders; promoting students' engagement; and enabling learning for all students. These themes include academic, social, and emotional and collective dimensions. Inclusive education appears as an institution whose everyday modes of interaction, pedagogical solutions and power dynamics can be difficult to recognise, let alone change towards a participative direction. Promoting student participation and agency requires professionals in schools to have the ability to primarily renew their own agency so that they can enable students to foster future orientation and active adulthood.

Much has been written about embedding voice within educational settings, but little has been written about how this might be undertaken as a whole school approach. Drawing on theoretical ideas from Wenger’s notions of ‘communities of practice’ and Kemmis’ notions of ‘architectures of practice’, the chapter describes emergent findings of ‘relatings’, ‘doings’ and ‘sayings’. The research indicated that professional trust between teachers within a whole school community of trust is essential for the development of effective and holistic ‘relatings’ within a school. Focusing on ‘doings’ surfaced the importance of two pedagogical tools utilised by the school community: the Spirals of Inquiry Approach and a commitment to children contributing to leading the learning. Finally, when focusing on ‘saying’, the analysis indicated the importance for the whole school community to value multiple modes of communication and the requirement to honour diversity within the community. Findings from this research project confirm that only through including both staff and children in the process would this approach be effectively embedded across the whole school and can voice be used as a means of making an educational community more inclusive.

This book outlines the key findings from the ADVOST project and other international projects that examine how educational practitioners have utilised theoretical notions of voice and agency to enhance the social inclusion and wellbeing of children within their settings. Bringing together findings from three project case studies that are each placed in a different national context, chapters explore theoretical principles of space, audience and influence to facilitate and enhance the voices of very young children. Focusing on diversity as an opportunity rather than a challenge, the book provides collaboratively written and regionally diverse chapters that ultimately contribute to a growing field on literature examining how young people might be included in culturally sensitive and responsive ways within education, recognising the diversity that young people, their families and communities bring to educational processes to provide an inclusive education for all. Offering multiple perspectives and insights into our growing understanding of children’s voice and agency in diverse settings, this book will be of relevance to scholars, researchers and academics in the fields of primary education, multicultural education, early years and educational research, and child development studies.

Communities across the world are increasingly facing growing diversity resulting from global and local migration, including Indigenous families moving from their traditional areas to urban environments. In educational contexts, classrooms have become more diverse in nature, and in the future, this diversity is expected to increase (Adams, Bell and Griffin, 2007). This diversity has the potential to enrich communities, but it can also threaten social cohesion and well-being posing professional dilemmas for educators seeking to include all young people in social and educational settings. This is especially the case when those children and young people who are potentially vulnerable within education provision must compromise their identity to feel they are being included in those settings.

The ADVOST research project sought to examine how teachers were using voice and agency as pedagogical tools to improve learning in their classrooms. A primary focus for the staff was to create space and facilitate time for the children to have their voices heard, opportunities to exert their agency in their learning, experiencing having an audience and learning that they might have influence on decisions made about classroom activities. In alignment with Cassidy’s work, the teachers viewed space and time as complementary, and at times interwoven in their practice and viewed both physical and abstract notions of time and space as ‘opportunities’. The findings emerging from the analysis of the data bring insight into the teachers’ values, principles and practice. Perhaps most importantly, the key finding from the study is that teachers must be deliberate and creative when seeking to provide space and time as key factors in the facilitation of voice.

This article is based on a study that considers future teachers’ digital competencies in the Arctic education context with special attention to the necessary cultural and contextual dimensions of teachers’ work. This study explored the professional competencies teachers require when teaching diverse and multicultural pupils in the Circumpolar North drawing on the multiple affordances offered by the digital world. Previous research draws attention to specific teaching and teacher competencies required for rural schools in the Circumpolar North considering the unique assets and characteristics of rural places in this region. This study presents a model of Digital Competence for Future Teachers (DCFT) that illustrates the competencies required by teachers in rural schools in the Arctic. Within the proposed model, four types of digital knowledge-based competencies necessary for holistic education were identified: techno-cultural, intercultural, self-cultural, and micro-cultural. The model was created through a process of analysis of existing models of teachers’ digital competencies: MAP-, TPACK- and PEAT-models which are then reflected on the findings of an earlier international comparative multiple-case study by the same authors examining the sudden change to remote online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Cultural Competence for Equity and Inclusion (CCEI) framework. Although the presented study focused on the Circumpolar North, the findings have implications for teacher education and policy production more widely in national and international educational environments.

This article presents the findings of an international comparative multiple-case study that examined the sudden change from classroom to remote online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study specifically explored the experiences of teachers in Northern Finland, England, and Norway, seeking to provide new information about the education situation and identify the focus areas to guide the education of future teachers. The data were collected in three different ways in three different contexts: via an online survey of in-service teachers in Lapland, Finland (N = 164), and through different semi-structured interviews with teachers in England (N = 20) and northern Norway (N = 30). The data analysis was conducted in two phases. The first phase focused on teachers’ experiences in teaching and learning and the second phase on teachers’ challenges. The results reflect teachers’ desire for additional education on online pedagogy, as well as the significance of teacher collaboration and knowledge sharing. The findings can be used to develop pre- and in-service teacher education, supporting the dynamic digitization of teacher education programs and policies. We recommend that strategies should be developed for how such programs can strengthen future teachers’ interaction, collaboration, and knowledge sharing.

This open access book provides a current view on education, equity and inclusion within the lens of education for a sustainable North.

‘Perhaps we should all stop for a moment and focus not only on making our AI better and more successful but also on the benefit of humanity’. - S. Hawkins, Web Summit, 2017 This international collaborative piece argues for a paradigm shift in our use and understanding of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education, and in the development of Artificial Intelligence Literacy amongst our learners and professional colleagues. The main premises are: AI can change societal practices, and aid competency and capacity building within society, thereby having a positive impact on education. AI in education can support equity, inclusiveness and lifelong learning, through customisable and tailored learning experiences, while building up future professions and societies according to sustainable development premises. Education ought to equip learners with the knowledge, competency and mindset required to use AI to solve professional and societal challenges and improve day-to-day practices

The rapid move to remote learning in 2020 caused by the COVID-19 pandemic created a challenge for all educational institutions. The pedagogy of online teaching is not usually included in teacher education, and the recent experiences of online education have revealed that many teachers have a lack of knowledge in online pedagogy and digital tools. There is also a variation in how educational institutions and personnel value the importance of digital education, with factors such as media, city or regional setting and community opinion often influencing educational decisions. Furthermore, even if teachers’ digital competencies are appreciated, the availability of digital devices varies substantially between schools. To achieve meaningful learning and improved learning outcomes through online education, future teachers need competencies in using digital tools and online pedagogical methods. In addition, they need to understand the move from web1.0 to web2.0 and the maker-culture in which the children and young people are living. Rural and Indigenous communities should have a strong presence in teacher education. Local languages and culture can be lost in English speaking online environments, and this is further hampered by expensive or limited access to the Internet. With these competencies and a critical understanding of the realities of online teaching and learning, future teachers can be equipped for their working lives in the coming decades and will be able to ensure educational equality for their students.

Recent international and national legislation demonstrates a trend towards inclusive education which aspires to ensure the participation of all young people in educational provision. However, research indicates that implementation of these visionary and aspirational policies into the different national, historical and cultural contexts across Europe remains challenging with teachers articulating that they do not feel prepared or supported to work with the diversity of students in classrooms. This paper describes the PROMISE project which sought to examine the nature of the professional challenges being experienced by teachers. The paper concludes with project findings indicating the key elements necessary for teachers’ professional development to be effective.

Despite policy calling for enhanced inclusive practice within all schools and colleges, educators across Europe are facing increasing challenges when providing effective inclusive education for all students as a result of increased diversity within European society. This paper focuses on the development of our understanding of how to support educators’ professional learning around issues of diversity and inclusion. Specifically, it aims to explore what diversity looks like across countries, sectors, and roles, what challenges and dilemmas are posed for educators, and how new approaches to professional learning can support the educators across all sectors. The exploratory study described in the paper emerged from work undertaken as part of an Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership project called PROMISE (Promoting Inclusion in Society through Inclusion: Professional Dilemmas in Practice). Traditional approaches to professional learning to support teachers’ inclusive practice have tended to focus on discrete courses which address specific learning needs such as autism, literacy difficulties, or behavioural issues. The paper presents findings from a transnational study which indicate that the professional dilemmas facing educators are complex and unpredictable and argues, therefore, that educators require professional learning that is collaborative, interprofessional, and acknowledges that the challenges they face are multifaceted.

Increasing numbers of students on the autism spectrum enter higher education (HE), hoping to develop their skills and independence. However, many find it difficult to transition to and succeed in this environment, and the support provided by universities can be inconsistent as highlighted by a recent review. This study explores the personal experiences of 16 students with autism from four Western countries, focusing on successes and challenges. Using thematic analysis, four core themes were identified: choices and aspirations, being at university, support provisions, and specific recommendation. Anxiety, depression and mood difficulties were frequently reported. The importance of positive personal relationships, and the need for autism training and empathy amongst support professionals was highlighted. Further, there is a need for universities to provide joined up academic and social support and to implement reasonable adjustments in an inclusive way, thereby avoid stigmatizing the student. Whilst negative experiences dominated, there were notable examples of good support practice and high levels of personal resilience and determination amongst the participants. To inform future practice, we conclude by offering a set of recommendations for educators, support professionals and for students on the autism spectrum.

Nepparticipatie is wat vermeden moet worden: daarom zetten we ‘belonging’ in dit boek centraal. Er mogen zijn, is niet genoeg. Het gaat om erbij horen, van betekenis kunnen zijn.