The difficulty with terms such as ‘social cohesion’ and ‘social integration’ is that definitions (such as there are) are notoriously slippery. I have looked hard for definitions and have struggled to find one that is consistently used.
However, this picture from our friends at Think Inclusive illustrates quite clearly how various terms are used. I don’t want to use too many words in expanding on this as I would like you, dear reader, to develop some of your own thinking around this.
Suffice to say that here at JUST Lincolnshire we want to see a move beyond integration, which can produce a scenario where people or groups of people are merely tolerated or have ‘integration’ enforced upon them. We recognise that inclusion will see a society that truly values and includes and values all its citizens.