Stages of Social Integration
A social process in society always has certain stages that must be passed. The same is true of social integration. The stages in social integration are the stages of accommodation, cooperation, coordination, and assimilation. For more details, let's study together in the following discussion:
1) Accommodation Stage
Accommodation is a form of social process in which there are two or more individuals or groups who try to adjust to each other, not interfere with each other by preventing, reducing, or stopping the tension that will arise or existing, so that stability is achieved (balance).
Accommodation aims to reduce disputes between two groups or individuals, prevent temporary conflict, allow cooperation between individuals or social groups, and seek fusion between different (separate) social groups, for example through intermarriage (amalgamation).
With accommodation, social groups in multicultural societies such as ours can coexist peacefully without causing disunity. It also allows for collaboration between social groups in the community. This is because between different social groups in society can adjust to each other. Thus it will encourage the birth of integration in the community.
2) Cooperation Phase
Cooperation is a basic form of social interaction. Cooperation can describe most forms of social interaction. Cooperation is intended as a joint effort between individuals or groups of people to achieve one or several common goals.
According to Charles H. Cooley, cooperation will arise if people realize that they have the same interests and at the same time have enough knowledge and control of themselves to achieve the interests of the common interest.
Cooperation between different social groups in multicultural societies has a considerable influence on social integration. Why? By cooperation means different social groups that adjust to each other, complement, need, and do not impose their own will that can lead to prejudices that trigger the birth of conflict in society.
3) Coordination Phase
Collaboration carried out by different social groups in a multicultural society must be coordinated so that it is more directed and can achieve goals for the common good.
Coordination is a central arrangement to achieve integration by uniting individuals and groups in order to achieve balance and harmony in relationships in society. In social organizations, coordination is the most dominant factor.
Without coordination, an organization cannot run well, considering the organization is a group consisting of people with different characteristics and personalities. Thus the smooth running of the organization is determined by the approach factor among its members. The coordination process covers various aspects of society, such as economic, political, socio-cultural, education, and so forth.
4) Assimilation Stage
Different social groups in multicultural societies after the coordination phase will be achieved or a mutual understanding is created, so that between these groups can adjust to each other. This process is called assimilation. Assimilation is a process marked by efforts to reduce differences that exist between individuals or human groups in order to reach an agreement based on shared interests and goals.