The (mis)use of 'integration' in the Netherlands

The intellectual endeavour taken in this article is to be critically reflexive of the term 'integration' and its use in society, recognizing the power of discourse and the fact that words, and their use, have con­sequences. It is a term which is presented as an end goal for select groups, a potential threat to society if not adequately maintained, and which justifies the development of various programmes and policies initiated to support these selected groups in the attainment of this goal. The term is used in policy and everyday conversation in a taken-for-granted way, yet at the same time, despite its enormous power and pervasiveness, it is never clearly or structurally defined.