A World Beyond Difference unpacks the globalization literature and fills a void by presenting a lively conceptual and historical map of how we think about the emerging socio–political world, and – above all – how we think politically about human cultural differences. Anthropologist Ronald Niezen extracts central themes from the work of recent major theorists, comparing them to classical social theorists in an instructive manner. He also draws on the local work of ethnographers to counter relativist and globalist discourses. Because of its interdisciplinary scope and engaging style, A World Beyond Difference will appeal to non–specialists as well as to those in courses on globalization, cultural theory, history, political science, sociology, and anthropology.