This cross-cultural and cross-national approach to ethnicity and race analyzes how race and ethnic identities are socially constructed, institutionalized and maintained. Throughout, the authors use contemporary examples from across the world, including extended case studies of ethnic/identity construction in the former Yugoslavia, South Africa and New Zealand.

The authors demonstrate why ethnic and racial boundaries over the last 30 years and contrary to earlier, optimistic predictions have become stronger and more strident under the pressures of modernization, mass communication and secularization. The book concludes by discussing how the downward spiral of hate and separateness can be halted, and even reversed.