Integration or assimilation

Dr Johansson Heinö made an interesting contribution to the debate about immigrant integration in Sweden recently. He rightly observes that the word "integration" very often is used meaning assimilation in the debate in Western Europe. Sweden is no exception. The seminar presentation of his report contained one of the more sophisticated discussions on integration in Sweden that I can recall.

I agree with Johansson Heinö: it would make the public debate more sophisticated, nuanced and to the point if politicians used the word assimilation when they present assimilatory policies. When the word "integration" is used instead, it is misleading, and muddles the concept until it becomes essentially without meaning. Of coruse the reason it continues to be used is that it is much less controversial than "assimilation", and also that "integration" is often much less well defined, making it easier to make policy without having to be accountable for it.

Note: both the report and the seminar are in Swedish.