Integration

yellow-tulip-with-flowersIntegration is the process of mixing disparate groups and incorporating previously disconnected entities into one larger entity. Social integration is the movement of historically oppressed minority groups into the dominant society. For example, social integration of students with disabilities enables them to interact in a traditional classroom setting and become part of the social and educational life of other students. In psychology, integration is most commonly used to refer to the Jungian concept of personality integration.

What is Personality Integration?

Carl Jung argued that a significant goal of psychological development is the process of individuation—the ability to separate oneself from others as a unique personality. Integration, according to Jung, is the process during which both the individual and collective unconscious are integrated into the personality. Integration is a positive psychological development that indicates psychological maturity and may help an individual move past negative habits.

Other Forms of Integration

In contemporary society, integration is commonly used to refer to the integration of racial, ethnic, and other minorities into the dominant group.

References:

  1. American Psychological Association. APA concise dictionary of psychology. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2009. Print.
  2. Lott, B. E., & Maluso, D. (1995). The social psychology of interpersonal discrimination. New York, NY: Guilford Press.

Last Updated: 08-10-2015