Introduction: Belonging unbound

Abstract

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book highlights how belonging is often problematically conflated with identity, and constrained within essentialist national vocabularies. It considers the diverse performative labours of belonging that emerge from the wedding spectacle as captured through videography. The book also considers the diverse utterances, signifying artefacts and ritual displays of the wedding, and how they come to affirm life narratives, perform rootedness and reinforce role designations. It looks at to two Australian novels and the famous performer/fashion icon Leigh Bowery to consider circus fabric and the clown costume as a literal tapestry of belonging. The book explores diverse cases and experiences, the concept of belonging is presented, engaged with and brought to life in countless multifaceted ways. It argues that retheorising belonging can enable innovative approaches to these pressing social and political concerns.