Rethinking Integration: Critical Debates and Future Directions for Superdiverse Societies

Integration remains one of the most influential and contested concepts in research, policy and public debate. What do we mean by integration, who is expected to integrate, and how well do established approaches reflect the realities of increasingly diverse societies?

In this honorary doctor’s lecture, Jenny Phillimore, Professor of Migration and Superdiversity at the University of Birmingham and Honorary Doctor of the University of Gothenburg, examines key contemporary debates surrounding integration. Drawing on extensive research, she explores critical perspectives on the concept, the assumptions and inequalities embedded within prevailing approaches, and the challenges posed by migration and superdiversity.

The lecture looks beyond conventional, one-directional understandings of integration to consider the relationships, institutions and wider conditions that shape inclusion, participation and belonging. It concludes by asking how research, policy and practice must develop to respond more effectively and equitably to the realities of contemporary societies.