Most multi-ethnic societies are experiencing a growth in assertions of ethnic identity. This is particularly true of developing societies where this process has spawned a series of tensions and conflicts. Yet, the concept of minority remains little understood. Further, most conceptualizations of what constitutes a minority are created in contemporary societies and do not apply to developing countries. It is this which inspired Srinivasan to focus on the lebenswelt of Muslims and Christians--two of the largest minority communities in India. She argues that the concept of minority should be conceptualized in terms of individual perceptions and awareness. She critically evaluates the Eurocentric model in terms of minority and presents a novel attempt to synthesize phenomenology and Marxism for the study of personal identity as social structure and process. In addition, she advocates that conventional wisdom of social reflection has obviously become inadequate and introduces an alternative approach relevant to contemporary societies. Rich with both empirical evidence and theoretical formulations, this book will appeal to both students and scholars of sociology and anthropology, and to administrators and policy makers.