Book Review: Belonging: solidarity and division in modern societies

"Belonging: Solidarity and Division in Modern Societies." Montserrat Guibernau. Polity. July 2013. --- It is commonly assumed that we live in an age of unbridled individualism, but in this book Montserrat Guibernau argues that the need to belong to a group or community – from peer groups and local communities to ethnic groups and nations – is a pervasive and enduring feature of modern social life. Although it includes a variety of interesting case studies from Britain, Spain, Catalonia, Germany, the Middle East and the United States, Taylor C. Sherman remains unconvinced and encounters some contradictions in the author’s arguments.