Analyzing “social integration” is the process of examining the patterns of human relations and values that bind people together in time and place, and that define their life opportunities. Patterns of social integration are shaped by trends in politics, economics, culture, and technology. The recent wave of globalization has radically changed the context of social integration across the globe. After discussing the overarching bases of social integration, this chapter examines how the process of globalization is altering existing values and behavior, institutions and governance, and relations among ethnic groups around the world.
