Mainstreamings

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The process of integrating individuals, groups, or ideas into the prevailing societal norms or dominant cultural practices, often focusing on inclusion in educational or social settings
2. The act of incorporating diverse elements into the primary flow of societal or cultural activities, aiming to normalize participation within the commonly accepted frameworks
3. The procedure of blending distinct or minority perspectives, individuals, or practices into the central or widely accepted trends and systems prevalent in a community or institution

Etymology: "Mainstreamings" is the plural of "mainstreaming," a noun formed from "mainstream" with the suffix "-ing." The base word "mainstream" is itself a compound of "main," meaning chief or principal, and "stream," a body of flowing water, so the image behind it is of a river's central current, the part where the water moves fastest and furthest. Its use as a figurative term for a dominant course of ordinary life is what gives the later noun its sense of pulling something from the margins into that central flow. The plural form reflects the fact that the act can happen many times, to many groups or elements, each one an individual instance of bringing something into the main current. The noun takes the same route as its base word: a river image turned into a social one, and then a process name with a suffix. Because "-ing" attaches to nouns and verbs to make names for actions, "mainstreaming" follows the familiar pattern of turning a verb sense (to bring into the mainstream) into a noun for the act itself.

Synonyms: integration, incorporation, assimilation, inclusion, normalization

Antonyms: exclusion, marginalization, separation, segregation, alienation