Focusing on approaches to autonomy in countries whose societies are marked by ethnic diversity, this study examines the effects of territorial solutions to the safeguarding of cultural identities. Studying the problem from a cross-national and analytical perspective, the contributors distinguish among the types of autonomy and their impact on pluralism, democracy and the unity of the state. Post-Franco Spain, in the process of continuing democritization, has become important as a laboratory of institutional accomodation of ethnic and regional identities, and the second section concentrates on that country's attempts to steer a middle course between federalism and forms of decentralization. The study contains case studies dealing with questions of nationalism, autonomy and identity in Kosovo, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, British Columbia and Africa.

Focusing on approaches to autonomy in countries whose societies are marked by ethnic diversity, this study examines the effects of territorial solutions to the safeguarding of cultural identities. Studying the problem from a cross-national and analytical perspective, the contributors distinguish among the types of autonomy and their impact on pluralism, democracy and the unity of the state. Post-Franco Spain, in the process of continuing democritization, has become important as a laboratory of institutional accomodation of ethnic and regional identities, and the second section concentrates on that country's attempts to steer a middle course between federalism and forms of decentralization. The study contains case studies dealing with questions of nationalism, autonomy and identity in Kosovo, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, British Columbia and Africa.

Most western political scientists have tended to neglect the ethnic dimension in China, and have overemphasized the development from large empire to unified nation. This book attempts to repair this neglect, by bringing together a number of case studies on the ethnic and regional dimensions of Chinese politics and society. Most of the contributors to this study use largely Chinese-language sources. Five are social anthropologists, and three (in addition to the editor) are political scientists. They provide in-depth analyses of Han relations with Mongolians and Muslims; the relations between the national government and selected provinces, especially after the Cultural revolution; the majority-minority interactions within provinces and the tensions within minority communities; the conflict between nationalism and Marxism and its impact on policies of culture and language; and attempts to balance the pressures for the legitimization of cultural diversity and for affirmative action with the imperatives of political unity.

Most western political scientists have tended to neglect the ethnic dimension in China, and have overemphasized the development from large empire to unified nation. This book attempts to repair this neglect, by bringing together a number of case studies on the ethnic and regional dimensions of Chinese politics and society. Most of the contributors to this study use largely Chinese-language sources. Five are social anthropologists, and three (in addition to the editor) are political scientists. They provide in-depth analyses of Han relations with Mongolians and Muslims; the relations between the national government and selected provinces, especially after the Cultural revolution; the majority-minority interactions within provinces and the tensions within minority communities; the conflict between nationalism and Marxism and its impact on policies of culture and language; and attempts to balance the pressures for the legitimization of cultural diversity and for affirmative action with the imperatives of political unity.

The components of citizenship in Canada, and the diversity of attitudes concerning the subject are analyzed by the contributors, addressing issues such as the reciprocal nature of the relationship between legal (political) and societal (ethnic) citizenship; the conflict of identities for members of Anglophone and Francophone, native and immigrant, and European and indigenous subcultures; the rivalry between federal and provincial orientations; and the processes of identity change resulting from shared experiences and interactions.