Dimensions Of Social Integration Research Articles

How does housing affordability affect migration intentions of married migrant workers? Social integration as a mediating variable

Increasing migrant workers’ belongingness to the locality is an important step in accelerating high-quality urbanization. Settlement intention can largely indicate this sense of belongingness, which is crucially affected by housing and social integration. Although the settlement intention of migrant workers has been widely investigated, inadequate attention has been paid to hukou transfer intention, which reflects the unique institutional arrangement in China. As family migration has become a trend, this study aims to investigate the two-dimensional migration intentions of married migrant workers in China, i.e. settlement intention and hukou transfer intention, and the mediating role of social integration between housing affordability and migration intentions. Based on the data from China Migrants Dynamic Survey 2017, the structural equation modelling was employed. Furthermore, four dimensions of social integration were examined (economic, social relation, cultural and psychological). The overall hukou transfer intention of married migrant workers was found to be low, whereas the settlement intention was relatively high. Social integration partially mediated the relationship between housing affordability and migration intentions. The regional characteristics of original and inflow places should be given special attention because they substantially affect married migrant workers’ levels of social integration and migration intentions.

Urban greenspace for social integration: Which types of greenspace do new-Swedes prefer and why?

Urban greenspace (UGS) is a key public resource offering a broad range of nature-based solutions and is increasingly looked to as a potential arena to promote social integration in Europe’s increasingly multicultural urban and peri-urban areas. However, relatively little research has explored the preferences and perceptions of immigrants in relation to UGS, especially in European contexts. Without such knowledge, planners risk entrenching planning structures that inadvertently result in segregation and environmental injustice. Using survey and participatory mapping methods with 261 immigrants in eight sampled settlements across Sweden, this study explores which types of UGS foreign-born immigrants in Sweden (i.e., new-Swedes) prefer and why. We found that new-Swedes are frequent users of a wide spectrum of UGS types, with the most preferred types including forests, large parks and lakes. The majority of respondents were satisfied with the quality (73%), availability (68%) and accessibility (76%) of UGS in their hometowns. Our regression analysis identified 51 key factors that had a meaningful effect on preferences for different types of UGS. Key factors were distributed relatively evenly across blocks of predictor variables concerning characteristics of UGS, socio-demographic factors, activity preferences, and perceptions. Our results indicate that new-Swedes’ UGS preferences are broadly comparable with those of the general population in Sweden. We found little evidence to suggest that ethnocultural factors played a major role in the preferences of our respondents. Furthermore, our results suggest that nature-connectedness might be an important determinant of new-Swedes’ UGS preferences. Based on these findings, we highlight several opportunities to further develop UGS strategies to support different dimensions of social integration, e.g., using popular UGS as interactive spaces for cultural learning, as a platform for intercultural contacts and for maintaining cultural traditions, and to contribute towards a greater sense of social membership in their new country. A crucial implication of our study is that the use of UGS to support social integration may further contribute to the increasing complexity of the UGS planning and management challenge. This implies the need for a systems perspective in UGS research, policy-making, planning and management to consider UGS as part of an integrated urban social-ecological system and to coordinate measures across sectors.

The social integration of rural migrants in urban China: The effect of hometown land tenure

AbstractWhile rural migrants living in different housing tenures present significantly variegated levels of social integration, little is known about how land tenure in their place of origin affects their integration into the host cities. Using the 2017 China Migrants Dynamic Survey, we identified three dimensions of social integration: (1) permanent settlement intention, (2) cultural integration and (3) psychological integration. We find that migrants do not feel psychological isolation; their settlement intention is lower as a more realistic judgement of prospects. Their cultural integration is even lower, indicating it is a long‐term process. Migrants with land farming by relatives and friends and land subleasing to private are more socially integrated, while hiring someone to cultivate the land, leaving land uncultivated and other land disposal methods reduces migrants' social integration. Furthermore, land subleasing led to stronger psychological integration, even after controlling for the potential endogeneity issue. It weakens their attachment to their hometowns and increases their income to achieve stronger integration. The effect is more salient in the migrants of the new generation, in second‐tier cities and in the digital economy sector.

Association of social integration with cognitive function trajectories among Chinese older adults: evidence from the China health and retirement longitudinal study (CHARLS).

The prevalence of cognitive impairment among older adults remains high. It has been proven that social integration is related to cognitive function. However, limited research has examined the association of social integration and its different dimensions with cognitive function trajectories of older adults. The data were from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) spanning 2013 (T1) to 2018 (T3). A total of 3,977 older adults were included in the final analysis. Cognitive function was measured with items from an adapted Chinese version of the Mini-Mini-Mental Mental State Examination (MMSE), while the measurement of social integration included three dimensions: economic integration, relational integration and community integration. A group-based trajectory model (GBTM) was used to identify cognitive trajectory groups among participants and an unordered multinomial logistic regression was employed to explore the association of baseline social integration and its three dimensions with cognitive function trajectories. Three cognitive function trajectory groups were identified: low-decline group (24.1%), medium-decline group (44.2%) and high-stable group (31.7%). Comparing to the medium-decline trajectory group, older adults with higher social integration scores were more likely to be in the high-stable trajectory group (OR = 1.087, 95%CI: 1.007 ~ 1.174), while less likely to be in the low-decline group (OR = 0.806, 95%CI: 0.736 ~ 0.882). Among the different dimensions of social integration, older adults with higher community integration scores were more likely to be in the high-stable trajectory group (OR = 1.222, 95%CI: 1.026 ~ 1.456); Older adults with higher relational integration scores were less likely to be in the low-decline trajectory group (OR = 0.816, 95%CI: 0.734 ~ 0.906). The economic integration was not found to correlate with the cognitive function trajectories. Stratified analyses revealed that the association between community integration and cognitive trajectories was only significant among older adults aged 60 to 69, and the association between relational integration and cognitive trajectories was only significant among older adults who was agricultural household registration. The developmental trajectories of cognitive function among Chinese older adults are heterogeneous. Social integration is significantly related to the trajectories of cognitive function in Chinese older adults. Measures should be taken to promote social integration of Chinese older adults to reduce the decline of cognitive function.

Participation in an Outdoor Music Festival Effects on Social Integration

The process of social integration enables individuals to adapt to societal norms. It is timely for tourism scholars to evaluate the growing phenomenon of outdoor music festivals, which are associated with participation in processes of social integration. The current study investigates the extent to which participating in an outdoor music festival affected participant levels of social integration. In line with the research purpose, a questionnaire was applied to the participants ( N = 426) of the MillionFest'19 festival in Eskişehir, Turkey. The study results show that participation in the festival has a medium- and high-level effect on dimensions of social integration. It is found that participating in an outdoor music festival provides elements of bilateral relations, physical development, and emotional development.

Effect of social integration on family doctor contracting services among migrant populations in China: a national cross-sectional survey.

The family doctor (FD) contracting system is a key reform in the development of the Chinese health system, and is considered an effective way to ensure equitable access to healthcare services. This study investigates the effects of social integration on FD contracting services among migrant populations. In total, 120,106 respondents from the 2018 China Migrants Dynamic Survey were included in this study. Two multivariate regression models were used to estimate the effect of social integration and other factors on FD contracting services among migrant populations. This study found that only 14.0% of the migrant populations had a FD. Multiple dimensions of social integration and some covariates were shown to be positively associated with FD contracting services, including average monthly household income, local medical insurance (odds ratio [OR] = 1.34, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.29-1.39), employment status (OR = 0.86, 95% CI = 0.82-0.91), settlement intention (OR = 1.15, 95% CI = 1.09-1.22), received health education (OR = 4.88, 95% CI = 4.51-5.27), sex (OR = 1.16, 95% CI = 1.12-1.20), age (OR = 1.66, 95% CI = 1.51-1.82), marital status (OR = 1.38, 95% CI = 1.31-1.46), sickness within a year (OR = 0.84, 95% CI = 0.79-0.89), and flow range (OR = 1.12, 95% CI = 1.07-1.16). All dimensions of social integration, including economic integration, social identity, and social involvement, are associated with FD contracting services among migrant populations. Policymakers should focus on improving the signing rates of migrant populations and implement more effective measures to enhance their social integration, such as settlement incentives and encouraging social participation.

Investigating Social Factors Affecting Social Health Among Clients Covered by Welfare Organization in Nowshahr City, Iran

Objective Social health, along with physical and mental health, is one of the pillars of health and represents one’s assessment of social life. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the social factors affecting the social health of the clients covered by the Nowshahr Well-being. Materials & Methods The research method in this study was the descriptive follow-up. The research community was formed by female clients 18 to 60 years old under the cover of the Nowshahr Well-being with 3951 people. 350 samples were selected using the Morgan table and simple random sampling method. The data collection tool consisted of two valid keyes social health questionnaires (1) and Babapour et al. (2010). The reliability of the questionnaires was calculated using Cronbach’s alpha method, according to which the coefficient of research variables and its dimensions were more than 0.7 and was evaluated as suitable. For research data analysis, correlation coefficient and regression analysis with SPSS software, version 24 was used. Results According to the findings of the research, there is a positive and significant relationship between all the variables, that is, between the independent variables of the research, which include social integration, social skills, social participation, and social acceptance, with the dependent variable of the research, social health. Using regression, the effect of social integration variables (β=0.137), social skills (β=0.157), social participation (β=0.156), and social acceptance (β=0.120) on social health was determined. The value of the multiple correlation coefficient of the dimensions of social integration, social skills, social participation and social acceptance with the variable of social health and its estimated value under the final regression model is equal to (0.612). The value of the coefficient of multiple determination in the final model was equal to (0.567), which indicates that 57 percent of the changes in social health can be explained by the independent variables included in the model, namely the dimensions of social integration, social skills, social participation, and social acceptance. which indicates the good fit of the model. The estimation of the coefficients of the final regression model shows that the investigated variables are all significant and each of them has different weights. Also, the regression coefficients showed that the variable of social skills (β=0.157) has the greatest impact. Conclusion According to the findings of the research, social integration, social skills, social participation, and social acceptance is an effective factors in promoting social health and feeling good and improving the quality of life and social health of clients covered by Nowshahr welfare department, so with Increasing the level of awareness and social skills of clients will also provide the basis for improving their social health.

Association between Urban Educational Policies and Migrant Children’s Social Integration in China: Mediated by Psychological Capital

China's urban educational policies have been established to solve the problems of potential discrimination and inequitable access to education, disrupting migrant children who move from rural areas to urban cities and who tend to suffer from a range of mental health issues. However, little is known regarding how China's urban educational policies affect migrant children's psychological capital and social integration. This paper aims to explore the effect of urban education policies on improving migrant children's psychological capital level in China. The second objective of this paper is to examine whether policies can encourage them to integrate into urban society in a positive way. This paper thoroughly analyzes the impact of China's urban educational policies on three dimensions of social integration of migrant children (identification, acculturation, and psychological integration), and also verifies the mediating effects of psychological capital on the relationships between these variables. The subjects of this study are 1770 migrant children in grades 8-12, who are sourced from seven coastal cities in China. Multiple regression analysis and mediation effect tests are employed to analyze the data. This study reveals that migrant children's identification with educational policies has a significant positive impact on their psychological capital. Psychological capital has partial mediating effects on the relationship between identification with educational policies and the three dimensions of social integration. In other words, identification with educational policies indirectly affects the process of social integration of migrant children through psychological capital. Based on this, for the purpose of promoting the positive impacts of educational policies of inflow cities on the social integration of migrant children, this study makes the following recommendations: (a) at the micro-level, the psychological capital of individual migrant children should be enhanced; (b) at the meso-level, the partnerships between migrant children and urban children should be taken seriously; and (c) at the macro-level, the urban educational policies related to migrant children should be improved. This paper not only makes policy recommendations for improving the educational policies of inflow cities, but also offers a Chinese perspective on the research related to the tricky issue facing all countries around the world, the social integration of migrant children.

Philosophy and discourse of war: conflict of worlds as the limit of Jurgen Habermas’s communicative theory

The article is a philosophical response to the oped of the German philosopher Jürgen Habermas Krieg und Empörung, published by him in the Süddeutsche Zeitung in April 2022. The oped demonstrates the philosopher’s view on ideological disputes and political debates or “indignation” (Empörung) in public sphere in both Germany and the EU concerning an attempt to develop a unanimous policy to help Ukraine with weapons against Russia’s military aggression. The authors presume that Habermas published the accountable message of a responsible citizen that means it should be also taken as based on his theoretical achievements. The article consists of two parts. The first part sets out the main arguments of the philosopher’s newspaper article, which ends with a recommendation of compromise and partnership negotiations with the aggressor de facto due to the losses of Ukraine. The second part is an attempt by the authors to clarify the main preconditions and premises of Habermas’s communicative philosophy, which demonstrate the fundamental limitation of its explanatory power for this type of radical dissent, which is war. First of all, the authors suggest, it is the idea of pacification in interethnic relations, which forms the intellectual mood after World War II and finds its philosophical expression in the discovery of a priori foundations of understanding (Apel, Habermas) and ideas of developing formal pragmatics of communication. Attention to the latter allows the authors to demonstrate how consistent analysis of a priori (counterfactual) conditions of communication is considered by Habermas primarily in the historical perspective of positive dimensions of social integration - democratic equality, freedom, justice for participants of communicative interaction. The article concludes with a detailed analysis of the significance of the concept “lifeworld” as one of the central concepts within communicative theory and an analogue of “form of life” and “culture”. The authors argue the idea of perspective creating a common lifeworld for all in the processes of communication is fundamental to the works of the philosopher. The article concludes that the regulative idea of the single world as a basic ontological assumption of communicative theory does limit its explanatory capacity in terms of a war situation as a clash of different cultural worlds.

Becoming Urban Citizens: A Three-Phase Perspective on the Social Integration of Rural-Urban Migrants in China.

This article attempts to provide an integrated conceptual framework for understanding how rural–urban migrants in China integrate into urban society. We propose a three-phase conceptual framework in which the social integration of rural–urban migrants is categorized into circular migration, urban settlement, and urban integration. We argue that the three phases differ with respect to the aims of migration, the identity of migrants, the key dimensions of social integration, the role of government, and the hukou policy. While the transition from circular migration to urban settlement is an outcome of economic development and change in demographic structure, as reflected by the economic conditions of rural–urban migrants, welfare expansion also plays a critical role during this process. We further hypothesize that the transition from urban settlement to urban integration will be a result of the social interaction between rural–urban migrants and local urbanites, within which social capital and cultural factors are vital. Since most rural–urban migrants are currently at the phase of urban settlement, we suggest that the Chinese government should enlarge welfare provisions to support their settlement in cities. This study contributes to improving the understanding of how to facilitate social integration of internal migrants in developing countries.

Stress-Buffering Factors of Social Integration on Depressive Symptoms Over Time in Late-Life

The negative impacts of stress on older adults’ well-being are well documented, and social integration is posited as protective against such detrimental effects. Previous research illustrates the stress-buffering effect of social relationships on both physical and mental health, such as depressive symptoms, in older adults. The purpose of this study was to expand on prior findings by investigating the longitudinal stress-buffering effect of various dimensions of social integration on depressive symptoms among an older sample. Four waves of data were drawn from the Social Integration and Aging Study, including 416 older adults (ages 60-100). Subscales of the Social Integration in Later Life Scale measuring frequency and satisfaction with social ties and community interaction were used to assess distinct dimensions of social integration. Multilevel modeling demonstrated that two facets of social integration—satisfaction with social ties and frequency of community interaction—moderated the relationship between perceived stress and trajectories of depressive symptoms over time. Participants who reported high levels of stress reported fewer depressive symptoms if they had high satisfaction with social ties and high frequency of community involvement. Interestingly, frequency of contact with social ties and satisfaction with community interaction did not similarly buffer negative effects for depressive symptoms. These findings indicate the value of remaining actively engaged in the community and maintaining meaningful relationships as older adults age. Future research should investigate programs to foster relationships and engagement between older adults and their communities, with particular consideration of populations at a greater risk for isolation.

Audience Motives and Satisfaction on Accessing Online Tours at 360° Virtual Destinasi Indonesia

The tourism sector is one of the industries affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy is developing a virtual tour innovation through the "360° Virtual Destinasi Indonesia" program. This research utilizes the Uses and Gratification Theory, which aims to determine the gratification sought and obtained in accessing the "360° Virtual Destinasi Indonesia". Typologies of needs types used are cognitive, affective, personal, and social integration dimensions. This research is explanative research with a survey method. The data were measured by comparing the average Gratification Sought (GS) and Gratification Obtained (GO), and then collected through an online questionnaire to 200 respondents who have accessed the "360° Virtual Destinasi Indonesia" program, using non probability sampling. Data were analyzed using paired t samples test. The results showed that the "360° Virtual Destinasi Indonesia" program fulfills cognitive and personal integration needs. On the other hand, the program does not provide satisfaction on the affective and social integration dimensions. The contribution of this research is it develops the uses and gratification theory in virtual reality and evaluation materials for the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy.

Niveles de integración social de los deportistas: un análisis multivariable

The aim of the present study is to investigate the social integration dimensions of athletes in terms of different variables. A total of 213 athletes voluntarily participated in the study, and data collection tools included personal information form to elicit demographic information and the “Social Integration in Sports Scale”, the validity and reliability study of which was approved by Cronbach's Alpha = 0.96). In the analysis of the data obtained, SPSS 22.0 package program was used, and Mann-Whitney U Test and Kruskal-Wallis Test were performed. As a result of the analysis, in general a significant difference was found in terms of the emotional development, physical development, development of relations in group, social development and national cultural development of athletes according to different demographic characteristics (p<0.05). Consequently, when the analyses performed and the relevant literature are examined, it can be stated that doing sports has positive effects on the social integration levels of individuals.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic: economic insecurity and coping strategies of Italian households

PurposeThis paper offers a contribution to the authors’ understanding of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on living conditions of Italian households. A large part of the research, analysis, comments focused on the relation between the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and income of the Italian households does not capture the extent of the current changes. The focus on the highly differentiated impacts of the pandemic on three core dimensions of social integration (the sphere of work, that of welfare and that of the family) could help the authors to grasp the current transformations.Design/methodology/approachThe research draws on Castel's distinction between three “zones” of post-Fordist employment societies with the aim to identify the processes and the conditions that carry individuals from one “zones” to the other. Theoretical considerations are supported by the findings of several qualitative and quantitative research carried out during the pandemic mainly by government agencies and international organizations as OECD and WHO. The analysis of healthcare expenditure, labour market and economic conditions of households is based on data of system of health accounts – SHA and from consumer studies undertaken by the Italian National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT). The data on the financial situation and expectations of households during the crisis used in the article were drawn from special surveys carried out by the Bank of Italy.FindingsWhat the authors observe in Italian society is not a collapse of the three pillars of social and system integration of contemporary societies: work, family and welfare. The COVID-19 pandemic has reversed two social and institutional trends, that in last two decades had damaged these spheres of life and that seemed relentless. First, what has been reversed are: the progressive privatization of welfare and the enhancement of the politics of retrenchment; second, values and styles of life, radical processes of individualization, that undermined mutual relations of support and care, and households' ability to cope with old and new risks. At the same time, the pandemic is radicalizing the long-lasting tendency towards job insecurity, a high incidence of low-paid workers and a high proportion of undeclared work. The highly differentiated impacts of the pandemic on these three spheres of life are creating a wider plurality of living conditions and risks.Social implicationsThe findings suggest that what the authors need is to reopen the debate on welfare priorities, programmes and areas of intervention, on public-private relationship that have been established in many sectors of welfare in the last decades in many European countries. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance welfare programmes capable of recognising the autonomous capacities of the family and informal relations to produce well-being, to cope with the crisis and to produce supportive relationships.Originality/valueThe pandemic highlighted that a progressive reduction of expenditure and politics of retrenchment produced welfare not able to face the needs of a large part of households. The pandemic highlighted that the changes that have taken place in the sphere of work, welfare and of the family in the last years have produced less and less governable effects.

The Long Arm of Social Integration: Gender, Adolescent Social Networks, and Adult Depressive Symptom Trajectories

Peer connections in adolescence shape mental health in ways that differ by gender. However, it is unclear whether this association has an enduring impact on life course mental health. Using growth models with survey data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health Waves I-IV, N = 13,821, 51% white, 49% male), we examine how two dimensions of social integration during adolescence-popularity and sociality-predict depressive symptom trajectories from adolescence to adulthood (ages 12-32) by gender. We find that for both men and women, low sociality predicts higher depressive levels through adolescence into adulthood. For women, higher popularity predicts greater depressive symptoms in adolescence, followed by a steeper decline to lower levels in early adulthood. Overall, this study suggests that social integration among peers in adolescence has long-term consequences for mental health that vary by gender.

The Association between Social Integration and Utilization of Essential Public Health Services among Internal Migrants in China: A Multilevel Logistic Analysis.

This study investigated the association between social integration and utilization of essential public health services among internal migrants. Data were from the 2017 China Migrants Dynamic Survey. Social integration was measured through four dimensions: economic integration, structural integration, sociocultural adaptation, and self-identity. Multilevel logistic regressions were used taking into account heterogeneity in the level of regional development. The utilization of health records and health education was less than 40% and varied widely across regions. Social integration was related to a higher likelihood of utilization of health records and health education. Moreover, sociocultural adaptation had a stronger effect on the utilization of health records in developed regions than in developing regions, and structural integration was strongly and positively related to the utilization of health education in developed regions. Hence, it appears that the relationship of some dimensions of social integration and utilization of essential public health services is moderated by the level of economic development. Promoting structural integration and sociocultural adaptation could strongly improve utilization of essential public health services in developed regions.

WHICH ASPECTS OF HEALTH PREDICT LATE-LIFE SOCIAL INTEGRATION OVER TIME?

Associations between late-life social integration and health have been found to be reciprocal. The present study focuses on the direction of health predicting social integration as it is not yet fully understood how different aspects of health may affect social integration. Using two-wave data from a community-based sample (N = 413, mean age 80 at baseline), the present study investigates whether depressive symptoms, chronic health conditions, functional limitations, and self-rated health independently predicted multiple dimensions of social integration over two years. The results of multiple regression and path analyses indicated that self-rated health was the most consistent predictor for social integration over time as the other health measures predicted no or fewer dimensions of social integration. Subjective perception of health appeared to have greater implications for social integration over time than more objective health symptoms/conditions. These findings highlight the important role of subjective health for maintaining late-life social integration.

Discursos sobre a imposição do trabalho humano como critério de ressocialização

Este artigo objetiva problematizar a centralidade da esfera laboral enquanto dimensão exclusiva da possibilidade de reinserção social de apenados que precisam provar que podem se integrar ao mercado de trabalho para terem suas penas reduzidas. Michel Foucault compreendeu o trabalho como força política que promove o ajustamento dos indivíduos à sociedade do trabalho. O sujeito é investido por poderes ao identificar-se cidadão laborioso, colocando-se em uma posição social privilegiada que pode protegê-lo de agressões e punições, concedendo-lhe uma identidade aceitável e afastando-o dos excluídos sociais. Os discursos sobre a essencialidade do trabalho no sistema jurídico-penal, enfatizando o trabalho como proposta de reinserção social, encontram-se no cerne das estratégias de poder, contribuindo para excluir, criminalizar e punir os desempregados. Analisamos alguns desses discursos sobre o trabalho, objetivando questionar a sua onipresença positiva, denunciar a opressão de sua obrigatoriedade e sua estratégia de disciplinamento.

Social integration in sports clubs: individual and organisational factors in a European context

Sports clubs are often perceived as important mediums for social integration, but the empirical evidence to support this claim is limited. This article sets out to identify individual and organisational characteristics that are conducive to social integration of members and volunteers. Drawing on survey data from 13,000 members and volunteers in ten European countries, an exploratory factor analysis identified three dimensions of social integration. They match the overall conceptual distinction between socio-cultural and socio-affective integration and the sub-division of socio-affective integration into ‘interaction’ and ‘identification’. Multilevel regression analyses examined the relevance of individual-level variables (social background, club affiliation and participation as well as practiced sports activities) and organisational-level variables (management and structural characteristics) for the three dimensions of social integration. Empirical analyses revealed that the individual-level variables, especially affiliation and participation in the sports club (e.g. the number of years connected to the club, the frequency of sports and competition participation, the team/group size as well as volunteering), had explanatory power, while the organisational-level variables (management and structural characteristics) mainly showed weak correlations. With little variation at the country level and relatively consistent results across the three dimensions of social integration, the results indicate that it is mainly the same individual and organisational characteristics that are conducive to social integration in sports clubs.

Does Regional Integration Matter for Inclusive Growth? Evidence from the Multidimensional Regional Integration Index

This paper employs a multidimensional approach to gauge the degree of regional integration and analyze impact on growth, inequality, and poverty. It constructs a multidimensional regional integration index (MDRII) series that embodies six key facets of regional integration: (i) trade and investment, (ii) money and finance, (iii) regional value chains, (iv) infrastructure and connectivity, (v) movement of people, and (vi) institutional and social integration. The MDRII confirms that regional integration is most advanced in the European Union which scores high in all six dimensions; Asia comes second with the largest contribution from infrastructure and connectivity. Empirical analysis suggests significant and positive development impact of regional integration even when trade and financial openness is controlled. The regional value chain, movement of people, and institutional and social integration dimensions have been significant drivers of economic growth. Infrastructure and connectivity improve income distribution. Overall integration alongside the dimensions of trade and investment, money and finance, and institutional and social integration appear to significantly and robustly reduce poverty.