The collapse of Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, and the Soviet Union has resulted in a proliferation of discontented national minorities. Thus, the possibility for destabilizing ethnic conflict has become acute. National minorities have accordingly emerged as a major focus of international relations in post-Cold War Europe. Jennifer Jackson Preece's powerful new study offers an innovative analysis of these developments. Scrutinizing them within the historical context of changing practices and evolving norms, she reveals that the European national minority question is nothing new - rather its foundations extend deep into contemporary history. Moreover, the problem is intrinsically derivative of the nation-states system itself, a system which potentially intensifies minority disaffection. Examining these issues against the backdrop of relevant treaties, diplomatic negotiations, and international practices, Jackson Preece presents the definitive assessment of the fate of national minorities in the European states system.

The question of minority rights is one of the great dilemmas of contemporary politics. Increases in the flow of immigrants, migrants and refugees have raised public concerns that greater cultural and ethnic diversity creates instability within nation-states. But does stability really require homogeneity? Or can it be maintained in the presence of different minority groups? In this path-breaking book, Jackson Preece analyses whether traditional minority rights theory is sufficiently dynamic to inform effective responses to modern challenges. The central premise behind minority rights is that groups recognized and supported by the political community are far less likely to challenge its authority or threaten its territorial integrity. However, as Jackson Preece shows, the potential for collisions of values and interests still exists, and the possibility of a permanent solution to the problem of diversity remains illusive. Minority Rights will be an indispensable resource for students and scholars of political science, international relations, law, and sociology.

The collapse of Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, and the Soviet Union has resulted in a proliferation of discontented national minorities. Thus, the possibility for destabilizing ethnic conflict has become acute. National minorities have accordingly emerged as a major focus of international relations in post-Cold War Europe. Jennifer Jackson Preece's powerful new study offers an innovative analysis of these developments. Scrutinizing them within the historical context of changing practices and evolving norms, she reveals that the European national minority question is nothing new - rather its foundations extend deep into contemporary history. Moreover, the problem is intrinsically derivative of the nation-states system itself, a system which potentially intensifies minority disaffection. Examining these issues against the backdrop of relevant treaties, diplomatic negotiations, and international practices, Jackson Preece presents the definitive assessment of the fate of national minorities in the European states system.

The question of minority rights is one of the great dilemmas of contemporary politics. Increases in the flow of immigrants, migrants and refugees have raised public concerns that greater cultural and ethnic diversity creates instability within nation-states. But does stability really require homogeneity? Or can it be maintained in the presence of different minority groups? In this path-breaking book, Jackson Preece analyses whether traditional minority rights theory is sufficiently dynamic to inform effective responses to modern challenges. The central premise behind minority rights is that groups recognized and supported by the political community are far less likely to challenge its authority or threaten its territorial integrity. However, as Jackson Preece shows, the potential for collisions of values and interests still exists, and the possibility of a permanent solution to the problem of diversity remains illusive. Minority Rights will be an indispensable resource for students and scholars of political science, international relations, law, and sociology.