Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2026
Publisher
American Psychological Association
Abstract
This study investigates how cumulative minoritization—the additive effect of multiple marginalized identities—is associated with undergraduate students’ sense of belonging across five distinct ecological levels: campus, faculty, staff, classroom, and peer. Utilizing a sample of 403 students at a private West Coast university, we examine the relationship between students’ Cumulative Minoritization Score (CMS) and belonging, as well as its association with flourishing. Quantitative analyses revealed significant belonging disparities, with higher Cumulative Minoritization scores associated with lower belonging in classroom, campus, and faculty contexts; associations with staff and peer belonging did not reach significance. Additionally, the study finds the relationship between belonging and flourishing is significantly stronger for students with minoritized identities. Qualitative findings further illuminate these disparities, uncovering experiences of pedagogical exclusion, peer-to-peer microaggressions, and a lack of institutional mattering at the campus level, while also identifying inclusive faculty behavior and student affinity groups as critical pathways to belonging. These results emphasize the need for equity-minded interventions that move beyond general inclusion to address specific sites of institutional responsibility. Prioritizing belonging across these nested contexts is essential for fostering flourishing and achieving inclusive excellence in higher education.
Recommended Citation
Bachen, C. M., Brewster, A. E., & Amore, K. T. (2026). Belonging, flourishing, and the experience of college students of differing social identities. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education. https://dx.doi.org/10.1037/dhe0000766
Comments
©National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, 2026. This paper is not the copy of record and may not exactly replicate the authoritative document published in the APA journal. The final article is available, upon publication, at: https://doi.org/10.1037/dhe0000766.