Social integration

Definition: Social integration is a multi-dimensional construct. In an academic context, social integration is related to the quantity and quality of the social interactions with staff and students, as well as the sense of connection and belonging to the university and the people within the institute. To be more specific, social support, trust, and connectedness are all variables that contribute to social integration. Social integration has important implications for academic outcomes and mental wellbeing (Evans & Rubin, 2021). Working class students are less likely to integrate with other students, since they have differing social and economic backgrounds and less disposable income. Thus they are not able to experience as many educational and fiscal opportunities than others. In turn, this can lead to poor mental health and feelings of ostracism (Rubin, 2021).