Encountering Difference

This is one of those rare books which is both erudite, eloquent and existentially engaging. The authors embark on a journey through culturally variegated landscapes, addressing the human condition and the contemporary world as they go along, asking how people are able to live with diversity; and they generously invite the reader to take part in this conversation, which is so crucial for the future of humanity on this shrinking planet of ours. Thomas Hylland Eriksen, University of Oslo This book offers a fresh perspective in shifting the focus from human conflict to how people 'make a life together'. To navigate the difficult terrain of a diverse world, it provides readers with a pair of carefully articulated concepts as guiding lights: while diaspora looks backwards to shared heritage and homeland, creolization gives weight to the forward-looking, creative energies inherent in culture contact. Brenda S. A. Yeoh, National University of Singapore With exceptional range of coverage and strong conceptual engagement, alongside a peppering of informative photographs, this book offers something for research, teaching, and general reading alike. [A] an important launchpad for rethinking how we approach the challenging topic of living with, in, despite, and through difference in divided times. Geography This book is a delightful read. It succeeds because it grounds empirically rich case studies in a well thought-out theoretical framework, moving beyond bland and uninspiring liberal nostrums that Aall cultures matterA. The volume demonstrates that understanding cultural encounters necessitates more than simply acknowledging differences, but requires delving into how coexisting identities complement rather than contradict one another. Barney Warf, Social & Cultural Geography