How do relationships and experiences shape an individual's sense of belonging?

An individual's sense of belonging is shaped by their experiences and relationships in a multitude of ways, and the answer to this is so broad that it cannot really be fully covered even in one book, let alone an essay. However, when looking at To Kill a Mockingbirdfor an answer to this question, it might be a good idea to begin with specific characters, then list an experience that shaped them and a relationship...

An individual's sense of belonging is shaped by their experiences and relationships in a multitude of ways, and the answer to this is so broad that it cannot really be fully covered even in one book, let alone an essay. However, when looking at To Kill a Mockingbird for an answer to this question, it might be a good idea to begin with specific characters, then list an experience that shaped them and a relationship that shaped them. Finally, how did those experiences shape them? Let's take a look at Scout as one example.

At the beginning of the book and for the first half or so, Scout is not only a very young girl, but she is an innocent one. She does not yet know reasons for certain behaviors that she sees in those around her and she is constantly trying to figure things out.

One relationship that shapes Scout is the one she has with her brother, Jem. She looks to him for those answers and for guidance. When she cannot make sense of something on her own, she often turns to Jem even before Atticus. One example of this is in Ch. 26 when Miss Gates talks about Nazi Germany and how much they hate Jews. Miss Gates explains that in America we do not persecute anybody. Scout is confused by this because she knows Miss Gates does not like Blacks, so she asks Jem about this contradiction. She genuinely does not understand how Miss Gates can view one group of people as persecuted and at the same time how she can persecute another group herself. She looks to Jem to help her make decisions about what is right and wrong, about how to view other people, and about how to understand situations she is too young to fully comprehend.

One experience that shapes Scout is in Ch. 15 when she prevents Atticus from being attacked by a mob. They have shown up at the jail to take Tom Robinson and Atticus is the only man standing there to protect him. Scout senses that Atticus is in danger and seeks to diffuse the situation by striking up a conversation with Mr. Cunningham about his son, Walter, who Scout goes to school with. This situation shapes Scout by moving her from being brave in a very childlike way (a tomboy not afraid to stick up for herself) to brave in a more mature way. 

Each of these instances are moments where Scout is perceiving the world more as it is than how she wants it to be. She is recognizing the contradictions in beliefs and behavior of the adults around her, and these actions are slowly shaping the person she wants to be.