How can growing social diversity be harnessed to make for more creative societies in the future? Three powerful forces are simultaneously shaping the social foundations of the future: deep-seated change in underlying economic systems, rapid global integration, and growing social diversity itself. The question is whether the three will combine constructively and lead to social progress or whether another, grimmer scenario lies ahead.

Does growing diversity, commendable in itself, mean we are headed for more inequality across the world's populations? Will access to and use of new knowledge and advanced technologies alleviate or aggravate the differences? What steps can policy makers take to ensure that growing differentiation within and among societies gives rise to increased creativity instead of mounting tensions?

This book asks some hard questions about our changing world, and examines the policy opportunities that need to be grasped if we are to foster sustainable social foundations for the 21st century.