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Synopsis Bringing together original essays by distinguished scholars from diverse disciplines, this volume constitutes an important contribution to the private-public debate. It does not set out to provide conclusive answers but raises pertinent questions, explores their implications, and looks to promote a global process of dialogue. A common thread linking the essays is the need to move away from the fairly common rendency to view the public and the private as discrete, if not separate, spheres often placed in an antagonistic relationship. Sifting through the multiple readings of these terms in an historical and analytical framework, the contributors highlight the manner in which the public and the private actually reinforce one another and collectively impact democracy. They point out as we move increasingly into an era of globalization, relations between the public and the private are being steadily redefined and that this has important implications for democratic citizenship.