Are You an Anywhere or a Somewhere? What David Goodhart’s “The Road to Somewhere” Tells Us About Belonging | Book Review

The Road to Somewhere by David Goodhart - book review by Yang-May Ooi on Belonging Across Cultures

10 MINUTE READ Author Across Cultures, Yang-May Ooi, is prompted to expand her worldview after reading David Goodhart's "The Road to Somewhere". From her habitual globalist, cross-cultural perspective, she finds herself reflecting on her shallow contact and connection with people who are more single-place and traditionally focused. In this book review, she discusses the fresh... Continue Reading →

July 21, 2026 0

Character, Leadership & Belonging – Edward Brooks | Podcast Episode #005

Character, Leadership & Belonging - Edward Brooks | Belonging Across Cultures Podcast Episode #005 | Yang-May Ooi @TigerSpiritUK

In our increasingly divided and unsettled world, we need good leadership more than ever. Not just at a national and international level, but also in business, organisations, education and technology. So what makes a good leader? And what role does Belonging have in good leadership? Author Across Cultures Yang-May Ooi talks with Edward Brooks, Executive... Continue Reading →

June 17, 2026 0

Transforming through Grief: Israeli and Palestinian Women Together – Beyond Conflict and Parents Circle Family Forum

From Pain to Solace: Israeli and Palestinian Women Together - Beyond Conflict and Parents Circle Family Forum - article on Belonging Across Cultures by Yang-May Ooi

6 MINUTE READ Many of us cannot imagine what it is like to lose someone in war or conflict. We cannot imagine living day after day under the terrifying conditions of bombardment and the attack of warfare. How do those who have experienced such bereavement and fear process what has happened and may still be... Continue Reading →

June 4, 2026 0

A Crisis of Belonging in Modern Britain – Chavs: The Demonization of the Working Class by Owen Jones | Book Review

10 MINUTE READ There are some prejudices in Britain today that have become socially unacceptable: open racism, sexism and homophobia are now widely condemned in mainstream public life. Yet there is one form of prejudice that still seems OK, particularly among the educated middle-class: contempt for the white working-class. Author Across Cultures, Yang-May Ooi, questions... Continue Reading →

May 25, 2026 0

My Time in a Cult-Like Movement

10 MINUTE READ Following on from her feature on The Dark Side of Belonging: Extremism, Identity and Purpose, author across cultures Yang-May Ooi writes frankly about the time in her youth when she was drawn into an extreme corner of the Evangelical movement at a time of loneliness and desperation. While not violent or extreme,... Continue Reading →

April 25, 2026 4

The Quiet Art of Changing Minds: The Psychology Behind Countering Radical Beliefs

The Quiet Art of Changing Minds: The Psychology Behind Changing Radical Beliefs - belonging across cultures - yang-may ooi

8 MINUTE READ When arguing with someone in an extremist group or caught up in conspiracy theories, we might counter with facts and scientific evidence or cite (to us) reliable sources such as mainstream news media, university research, the medical establishment, the laws of physics. But to no avail. Following on from The Dark Side... Continue Reading →

March 23, 2026 0

Belonging in Ourselves – Dr Nafisah Graham-Brown | Podcast Episode #003

Belonging in Ourselves - Dr Nafisah Graham-Brown | Belonging Across Cultures Podcast Episode #003 BGPD003 | Yang-May Ooi @TigerSpiritUK

Is a feeling of Belonging solely defined by place or a community? What happens if you find yourself a stranger in a new place with no support system due to circumstances you cannot control? What if your home life is chaotic and you have no-one stable you can turn to for guidance or help? Is... Continue Reading →

March 19, 2026 0

The Dark Side of Belonging: Extremism, Identity and Purpose

8 MINUTE READ While Belonging Across Cultures aims primarily to celebrate Difference and to highlight how a sense of Belonging might be created in a positive way we also need to understand how cultural and social division occurs. In this article, author Yang-May Ooi shares some of her investigation - based on scientific research -... Continue Reading →

March 17, 2026 0

ECHOES OF HOPE: A Spotlight on Healing the Trauma of War – Beyond Conflict Film Wins Award

5 MINUTE READ In today’s divisive world, it is all the more important that there are charities that work across conflict and political or religious lines. One of them is Beyond Conflict, a small charity offering mental health support for people impacted by war and conflict around the world. Started only eight years ago by... Continue Reading →

March 2, 2026 0

Can We be Friends with People Who Disagree with Us?

9 MINUTE READ The BBC UNBOXD Report came out earlier this month, surveying the attitudes and lifestyles of Gen Z (16-24 year olds) in the UK. The results will inform their programming for the younger generation going forward. The findings of the Report around attitudes to friendship and disagreements seem to reinforce a progression towards... Continue Reading →

February 26, 2026 0

Personal Stories on Migration and Belonging – GX Philosophy Group Talk

7 MINUTE READ “There’s an engaging energy in giving a talk live and in-person to deep-thinking folk,” says cross-cultural author Yang-May Ooi. She shares here notes on the talk she gave to the GX Philosophy Group a few weeks ago on the theme of Belonging as well as some of the meaty discussion that emerged... Continue Reading →

February 19, 2026 0

Coalminers Grand-daughter Part 2 – Accent and Identity

10 MINUTE READ In Part 1 of Coalminer's Grand-daughter - A UK Migration Story from Norfolk to Yorkshire, we heard about one English family through Rachel's story. Her family migrated from Norfolk to Yorkshire, and then from Yorkshire to America and Southern England. Comparing Rachel’s family to her own, author Yang-May Ooi found that the... Continue Reading →

February 13, 2026 0