Diversity' is a crucial concept describing the recent shift in minority studies away from its focus on social stratification and inequality. In recent times, new theories and concepts that suggest 'positive' meanings are emerging. Minorities and Diversity is a collaborative work emerging from the Division of the Study of Minorities at Tohoku University in Japan. The book's focus is on empirically analyzing the mechanisms that produce alienation and discrimination, as well as normatively exploring the social conditions that connect minority groups and social diversity to creativity and dynamism. Chapters in this volume delve into: the status of women in Japan in relation to marriage and single motherhood * gendered roles and norms in the early modern period * the Japanese American reparation movement * Korean and Muslim ethnic minorities in Japan and the UK * mutual aid in Okinawa * the role of non-governmental organizations and non-profit organizations in fostering social diversity. This insightful work suggests that, in order to broaden our understanding of minorities, we should examine the ways in which these groups promote the enrichment of society.

About Editors and Authors

KIMURA Kunihiro is a Japanese sociologist and Professor at Tohoku University. He specializes in behavioral science and social psychology. He graduated from the Faculty of Law, Tohoku University, in 1981 and was awarded a PhD in Literature in 2000. After working at Niigata University from 1988 and Shizuoka University from 1991, he went on to become Associate Professor in the Faculty of Letters, Tohoku University, in 1995 and Professor in the Graduate School of Arts and Letters in 2008. His research interests include rational choice, cognitive consistency, fairness, education and categorical data analysis.