DIFFERENT FORMS OF INTEGRATION
Societies are complex social systems, characterized by a high degree of differentiation but at the same time held together by a high degree of integration. Although this is not always the case, some societies are fragmented, while others have a certain degree of coherence, depending on the relative strength of integration and differentiation between the subsystems.
As societies are composed of different sectors, we can distinguish different forms of integration, namely: economic, political, security, ... integration. However, the diverse processes tend to converge as the integration process intensifies.
For instance, from our perspective political integration can be regarded as the creation of order in a political system. Various scholars consider political integration as related to the different regulative, normative and cognitive layers of institutionalisation. Thus, in one sense political integration refers to the building or strengthening of formal political institutions and regulative structures. In another sense, it refers to the creation of common norms. And in yet another sense, it refers to the formation of political communities and common political identities. (Kelstrup)
Another distinction can be made on the basis of where the integration project is located on the continuum between shallow and deep integration. For instance, regional political integration in its weaker forms refers to cooperation between states and formations of state-based regimes, whereas the stronger forms of integration refer to the constitution of new political entities, which have a certain degree of independence in regard to the individual states.
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