Integration and Social Efficacy

The term integration can literally be defined as a ‘progression towards unity’. It describes a process wherein disparate groups are merged together into a unified whole. When individuals or groups of different social, ethnic or religious background interact and are able to maintain the ability to satisfy their respective needs and goals, we speak of social efficacy. The underlying idea behind this concept is that within such a society, people are able to retain tolerance with respect to others but are also capable of indicating when they feel they are being exposed to undesirable behavior. In addition, members of such a society feel responsible for what transpires within it, and possess the ability to contribute to its activities and goals in a useful manner.