ELEMENTS IN A THEORY OF THE INTEGRATION O F MODERN SOCIETIES - AN INVENTORY

Sociology can approach the elemental problem of the integration of mod em societies from various different angles. On one level, integration can be understood in economic, political, solidary and cultural terms. On a further level, it is necessary to differentiate between systemic and social integration. Finally social and systemic integration are n o longer a matter for national societies, but are increasingly the con cern of supranational and global units. A workable solution to the pro blem of the integration of modern societies must take into account the se various approaches and levels and fuse them together to form a cohe rent theory.