Since the end of World War II, the world has transformed in profound, far-reaching ways. The dismantling of European empires after the war led to decolonization, and the realignment of WWII allies led to conflict between superpowers. As the Cold War heated up, two ideologies—capitalism and communism—shaped daily life and international affairs. And as it wound down, a tidal wave of globalization wrought new avenues for growth but new sources of conflict—between the wealthy and the poor, between the Global South and the Global North. The Making of the Modern World: 1945 to the Present offers students an accessible guide to these transformations. In a compelling narrative style, the human story of our planet’s most recent history comes to life. This volume, Women, Minorities, and Changing Social Structures, covers how minority rights, women’s rights, and indigenous rights shaped the decades following World War II. It investigates the struggle of these groups for recognition and power, especially in the context of the Cold War and as globalization helped to spread activists’ messages about equality and political access. Multiculturalism also takes center stage—especially in the ways governments and international groups used the concept to promote diversity in their communities and societies.
