Observations on Belonging and Brotherhood in All-Male Catholic Schools
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Abstract
“Brotherhood” is used for marketing all-male Catholic schools and is often synonymously with “belonging.” This article examines those terms from three perspectives—the academic literature, the students’ views, and the views of faculty and staff—to define them. Regarding school, belonging can be defined as being affiliated with the institution, being personally accepted, respected, and included in the social environment. In Catholic schools, belonging is fostered through religion classes, religious art, statues, crucifixes, and displays of student work that illustrate beliefs and practices of the Catholic life, as well as social justice projects. The elements of brotherhood are a shared experience that unites the members and is consistent with the values of the group, group members caring about each other with a desire to see the members of the group succeed, and members taking responsibility for the group and making sacrifices when necessary.
Contributor Notes
Chris Miller is a religious studies teacher at a Catholic high school in the San Francisco Bay Area. He recently received a master's degree in clinical psychology from Notre Dame de Namur University and a graduate diploma in canon law through Saint Paul University. In 2019, he graduated with a doctoral degree in education from the University of San Francisco, focusing on the Kairos Retreat experience in Jesuit high schools in the United States. He is a graduate of Santa Clara University, where he received a bachelor's degree in history, and a California Teaching Credential and received master's degrees in education and pastoral ministries. He is also an alum of Boston College, where he completed a post-master's program in youth and young adult faith. Email: camillerlg@aol.com