This book is about contemporary sociological analysis: its discussions, contradictions and controversies. Authors from various backgrounds discuss developments on all continents. The 34 contributions are centered on six themes. The first is multiple modernities, showing us that there is no single road to the modernization of societies. The second theme is globalization, with new concepts like spatialization, world languages and new social movements. In part three, multiculturalism and diaspora movements are viewed as the pivotal factors for change in many societies. The fourth theme is the...