Integration
“Integration” is often described as something people do—adapting, participating, fitting in. In practice, most integration outcomes are determined by whether systems allow entry, recognition, and mobility in the first place.
Definition
Integration refers to the process by which individuals or groups gain sustained access to the institutions, rights, and opportunities that structure participation in a society.
Technical meaning vs common usage
Technical meaning:
A system-level process shaped by legal status, institutional access, credential recognition, and enforcement rules that determine whether participation is possible over time.
Common usage:
An expectation that individuals assimilate socially, culturally, or behaviorally.
How the term gets stretched or misused
Treated as an individual responsibility rather than a system condition
Used to evaluate behavior without addressing access barriers
Conflated with assimilation or cultural conformity
Invoked without specifying which institutions are involved
Where the power sits
Power over integration sits with institutions that control access and continuity. Decisions about legal status stability, employment authorization, credential recognition, housing eligibility, and civic participation determine whether integration can occur. These decisions are typically administrative and cumulative; exclusion at any one point can stall integration regardless of individual effort.
This does not mean…
Cultural similarity or conformity
Guaranteed social acceptance
Immediate participation across all institutions
Individual failure when access is blocked
Why precision matters
When integration is framed as behavior, lack of progress is attributed to individuals. When framed as a system process, lack of progress points to access rules, eligibility thresholds, and enforcement choices. Precision explains why participation gaps persist even when people are willing and capable.
Neutrality note
This definition describes integration as a system-level process shaped by institutional access and continuity, not as an endorsement or critique of cultural expectations, social norms, or integration policy choices.
Related HISW
Words Matter: Assimilation, Belonging
Sources
Sources below explain integration as a process shaped by institutional access, legal status, and participation rules.
National Academies of Sciences — The Integration of Immigrants into American Society (2015)
https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/21746/the-integration-of-immigrants-into-american-societyOECD — Settling In: Indicators of Immigrant Integration (2015)
https://www.oecd.org/migration/integration-indicators/