Integration means "the action or process of successfully joining or mixing with a different group of people" ("Integration"). In a society divided by cultural tribalism, we must have some difficult conversations to benefit from our diversity. Furthermore, we possess varying levels of belonging to our respective cultures. How can we improve our integration?

In "Intergroup Contact Theory: Examining Knowledge Sharing Among Individuals From Different Tribes," Okyere-Kwakye suggests prejudice will decrease when individuals from opposing parties possess feelings of equal status, attempt to satisfy each other's concerns (cooperativeness), work together towards a common goal, and observe a governing law of the land (institutional support; Okyere-Kwakye et al. 88). These factors can "reduce prejudice and promote positive attitudes among people from different tribes" (Okyere-Kwakye et al. 93). With these conditions in place, the development of intimacy from interaction among people decreases prior sentiments between them.

To effectively improve society, we must lead by example through a construction process that is inclusive by design. Anna De Jong and Chloe Steadman discuss the annual beer event, Indy Man, held in Manchester, U.K., and how the flow of information online and offline prior to and during the event affected social relations. While such events appear to promote diversity and inclusiveness, as Indy Man demonstrated, its culture of enthusiasm, guided by social media, became increasingly exclusive, dominated by a narrowly defined creative, white, upper-middle class, masculinized identity (De Jong et al. 306). The absence of institutional support due to the venue's financially incentivized relationship with Indy Man may have enabled the growth of such tribalism. De Jong notes that "the ways through which place is constructed and inscribed through the relationships among people are foregrounded, whereby 'selective inclusion and exclusion combine into series to form an ordering mechanism that becomes the basis for the formation of social groups" (De Jong et al. 296). Such environments are composed of many agents interacting through "set arrangements or institutions against a background of generally accepted norms, habits or expectations" (Atenasio 152). In a study on gang behavior, Heather Tolle explains that associations within a group inform the members of appropriate behavior, and "those who are accepting of deviant behavior will create an environment where deviant behavior is appropriate and acceptable" (Tolle 871). Without proper institutional support, elements of intergroup contact may work against integration, devolving into the tribalism we strive to prevent.

Social integration challenges are also imbued through culture, notably in late-stage adulthood. In "Culture and Well-Being in Late Adulthood: Theory and Evidence," Kitayama and Berg discuss independent and interdependent models of self (Kitayama et al. 568). Western cultures rooted in independence place significant focus on youth, advocating various high-arousal goal states such as uniqueness, control, influence, and self-reliance (Kitayama et al. 568). As such expectations of societal engagement and desire for high-arousal states become more challenging to maintain with the realities of aging, they can often lead to alienation and social disengagement (Kitayama et al. 570). By contrast, Eastern cultures influenced by Buddhism and Confucianism emphasize an interdependent model of the self, lower-arousal goal states, filial piety, and more realistic expectations through age-graded societal roles. Kitayama demonstrates that subjects from interdependent cultures showed increased levels of personal growth, self-acceptance, and purpose in life with age, as opposed to decreases felt by Western subjects (Kitayama et al. 575). Notably, the authors suggest that the idea of aging should be evaluated by both cultures to encourage older adults to engage with society and find meaning in appropriate ways (Kitayama et al. 575).

Integration is a dynamic process dependent on social, cultural, and institutional factors. By considering these elements, studying the past, and acknowledging the role of independent and interdependent models of self, we can gain valuable insights, build more robust and inclusive social systems, and create genuine, lasting integration.

Works cited:

Atenasio, David. “Blameless Participation in Structural Injustice.” Social Theory and Practice, vol. 45, no. 2, 2019, pp. 149–77, https://doi.org/10.5840/soctheorpract201942655.

De Jong, Anna, and Chloe Steadman. “(Re)Crafting Belonging: Cultural-Led Regeneration, Territorialization and Craft Beer Events.” Social & Cultural Geography, vol. 24, no. 2, 2023, pp. 292–310, https://doi.org/10.1080/14649365.2021.1939126.

“Integration.” Dictionary.cambridge.org, 16 Oct. 2024, dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/integration.

Kitayama, Shinobu, et al. “Culture and Well-Being in Late Adulthood: Theory and Evidence.” The American Psychologist, vol. 75, no. 4, 2020, pp. 567–76, https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000614.

Okyere-Kwakye, Eugene, et al. "Intergroup Contact Theory: Examining Knowledge Sharing Among Individuals From Different Tribes." International Journal of Knowledge Management, vol. 15, no. 2, 2019, pp. 81–96, https://doi.org/10.4018/IJKM.2019040105.

Tolle, Heather. “Gang Affiliation as a Measure of Social Structure in Social Structure Social Learning Theory.” Deviant behavior, vol. 38, no. 8, 2017, pp. 870–78, https://doi.org/10.1080/01639625.2016.1206712.

Pictured above
Walker, Coire: Photograph of Topographie des Terrors, Berlin, Germany. 14 Aug. 2022. Author's personal collection.