Introduction

From the local to the global, demographic maps have throughout history been fluid, constantly in flux. Migration has created diversity and cultural richness through the making and re-making of societies, a sense of place and identities. This porosity and global interconnectedness is ever more visible leading to the world being ‘increasingly dominated by movement – of people, images and information’ (Massey, 1991: 24). A canvas of ‘superdiversity’ (Vertovec, 2007) is being created through the intensification of movement and subsequent integration of migrants. Super-diversity invites new understanding of the complexity of and relationships between migration and integration in postmodern societies, as well as understanding of and questions on the role of social work in this dynamic process. This chapter focuses on the cultural and social dimensions of the integration of migrants, and the building of a sense of place and belonging. It uses Ager and Strang's (2004) Indicators of Integration Framework, and Sen's (1999) Capability Approach (CA) to explore the integration of migrants (asylum seekers and refugees) in Scotland, contextualised within cultural social work.

The chapter is presented in two main sections: first, we address approaches to integration, a sense of place and the CA. The opening section discusses integration as a relational, two-way process (Berry, 1997). Ager and Strang's (2004) Indicators of Integration Framework is introduced, and we explore the role of building a sense of place, the ways that meanings are ascribed and created to turn the unfamiliar into the familiar, and connections to social work are made visible. The CA (Sen, 1999) frames discussion on conceptualising the integration of migrants, and the evolving sense of place, wellbeing, and identity; of embedding hope in precarious lives. We highlight the relational dimensions of the CA as a way of conceiving of and working to create a society that is tolerant and inclusive of difference for ‘living well together’ (Deneulin and McGregor, 2010). Second, we situate the chapter geographically within Scottish refugee integration policy and social work practice. The New Scots Integration Strategy, 2018– 22 (Scottish Government, 2017) is shaping the process of integration in Scotland. At the core of the Strategy is a vision of ‘a welcoming Scotland where refugees and asylum seekers are able to rebuild their lives from the day they arrive’ (Scottish Government, 2017: 11).