This book presents the best contributions and some more invited papers of a Conference which was organised at the University of Durban-Westville in South Africa by the Research Committee 10 «Participation, Organisational Democracy & Self-Management» of the International Sociological Association, and the South African Sociological Association, from 1 to 5 October 2000. The nineteen contributions come from Africa, America and Europe and cover the topic in an interdisciplinary way. A major concern within the process of globalisation being democratic participation and cultural diversity. A critique of this process and alternatives to it are presented with a number of case studies.