There was a time when minority populations around the globe were often overlooked, their histories forgotten, their needs ignored. With globalization and conflict, social and political changes in the last decades have given rise to the need to understand the world's minorities, the diversity they represent, the challenges they face, the modes of co-existence that have evolved, and the frictions that must be addressed.
The Encyclopedia of the World's Minorities is a three-volume, A-Z encyclopedia, with some 600 essay entries that provide quick and clearly written introductions to minority groups and the themes and concepts that help readers to understand the issues. Entries, ranging from 1,000 to 5,000 words, fall into four main categories. Each entry will be followed by a brief list of selected further readings (in the case of Person entries, a brief list of the person's works will also be included).
The main categories are:
Minority entries: cover particular ethnic, religious, and other groups, their histories, culture, and current political situation
Topical entries: focus on broader theoretical and philosophical issues; military, political, and social organizations; legal doctrines; and other concepts
Biographical entries: include major figures- past and present- in minority movements around the world
Country entries: provide a political, historical, and demographic overview of the world's countries, with an emphasis on ethnic and cultural divisions