The Complex and Dynamic Process of Integration p15

INDICATORS OF SETTLEMENT AND INTEGRATION

Settlement and integration involve a series of choices for the newcomer and the community – in the

economic, social, cultural, and political spheres. Based on their research and experience, the Canadian

Council for Refugees has begun to identify examples of indicators that might be used to evaluate

newcomers’ and society’s level of integration:

SPHERE	SHORT-TERM (Settlement)	LONG-TERM (INTEGRATION)
Economic	Entering job market Financial independence	Career advancement Income parity Entry into field of prior employment
Social	Established social network Diversity within social network	Accessing institutions Engaging in efforts to change institutions
Cultural	Adaptation of various aspects of lifestyle (e.g., diet, family relationships)	Engaging in efforts to redefine cultural identity Adapting or reassessing values

Political

Citizenship

Voting

Participation in political parties

Participation in socio-political movements

The ratePolitical of an individual’s integration may vary

from one sphere to another: a newcomer may adapt

quickly to the expectations of the workplace, but

may find it more challenging to acculturate socially.

And the degree of adaptation in each sphere tends

to impact all of the others; for example, at some

point the challenges a newcomer faces in terms of

adapting to the new country’s social expectations

may impact his/her ability to advance in the workplace.

Of course, integration is, to some degree, a

lifelong process for everyone – immigrants and

non-immigrants alike. And indicators – such

as full utilization of skills or political participation –

vary considerably from person to person; they

also vary over time for each individual (Canadian

Council for Refugees, page 9).

New Neighbors, New Opportunities: Immigrants and Refugees in Grand Rapids Dyer-Ives Foundation 15