Publication

This brief analyzes past and present definitions of 'minority' in order to evaluate trends and future opportunities regarding the identification of minority rights holders. The author examines existing attempts at a definition, identifies their main components and comments on possible tensions between these components. She then argues for a process based approach to defining the term which recognizes the way minority identities are constructed and the power dynamics behind them. She concludes by urging scholars and practitioners to be aware of how their understanding and usage of existing definitions actually furthers or hinders minority empowerment.