ABSTRACT
There is but one world for all of humanity. 1 Yet most observers of American and South African history would attest to at least a duality, if not a multiplicity of “worlds” being experienced by African-origin and Euro-pean-origin populations in these countries (Jabavu 1920; Drake [1987] 1991; Du Bois [1903] 2003; Magubane 1996). To consider yet other population groups and other societies would require some type of exponential analysis, although we hint at those differences here too they are not the focus of our work. Saying “one world—many worlds” is neither a celebration of difference nor its damnation, although difference has been seen from both perspectives (Copeland 1939; Childs 2003). For us, this statement illustrates the complex socio-cultural world in which human beings live. It is a world plagued by varying degrees of national and international conflicts, while simultaneously strengthened through cooperation and collaboration of the diverse peoples that make up these nations. This paradox is elucidated in Chapter Eight, when we discuss core principle interconnectivity. Some theorists contend that conflict itself is what brings about social change and ultimately leads to the improvement of the social structure (Grusky 1994). We do not necessarily disagree with this assessment, however we assert that social problems can be overcome only by ensuring that all participants engaged in discourse about such problems do so at the same table, with the same set of agreed upon rules, and with the agreed upon understandings of the terminology used.
