This reader was developed to be used in numerous courses taught in sociology, anthropology, history, political science and global studies. This book will fit into any course that is focused on contemporary global issues. It is appropriate for an introductory course, as well as for more specialised upper level courses. The readings have been selected from numerous well respected journals (including numerous SAGE journals) as well as from the popular press. The journal articles have been edited to make them more ′user friendly′ for the undergraduate student. The reader includes a topic guide to help the instructor better integrate the material into their course and well-crafted section openers place each article in context for the students .