This volume of essays and studies analyzing phenomena and processes of alienation and de-alienation in modem societies is based on a selection of original papers presented at two international conferences.

The Conference on Urban Alienation: The Search for De-alienation Strategies was held at The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, May 4-5, 1984. Six papers, each followed by a prepared commentary, were presented. The essays by Melvin Seeman, Alan Whitehorn, and John Lachs are revised versions of papers from that conference. The conference was organized by An¬drew Oldenquist (U. S. A.) and was supported by The Ohio State University, O. S. U.`s Mershon Center, and the Ethics Resource Center of Washington, D.C.

The International Conference on De-alienation through Participatory Democracy and Self-management was held at the Inter-university Centre of Postgraduate Studies in Dubrovnik, Yugoslavia, March 18-23, 1985. It was or¬ganized by Mihailo Markovic (Yugoslavia), Menachem Rosner (Israel), and David Schweitzer (Canada). The conference was held under the joint auspices of the International Sociological Association`s Research Committees on Alien¬ation and on Participation, Workers` Control and Self-management.

The emphasis of the Dubrovnik conference was on practical strategies for reducing alienation and improving the quality of life--in the light of theory, . philosophy, and existing research findings--in the realm of work, organizations, and international communities. Twenty-one papers were presented, organize.d around six main themes. Essays based on the Dubrovnik conference are those by David Schweitzer, Laslo Sekelj, Andrew Oldenquist, Menachem Rosner, L. E. Karlsson, Uriel Leviatan, and Judith Buber-Agassi.

A number of people were of great help in the conceptualization and organization of the volume, including, among others, Felix Geyer and Frank Johnson, as well as some of the contributors. Dr. James Sabin, Executive Vice President of Greenwood Press, and Greenwood editors Maureen Melina and Diane Spalding were very helpful in the different stages of the production of the book and we wish to thank them. We also wish to thank Kimberly Holle at The Ohio State University Department of Philosophy for her expert work of typing, formatting, printing, and indexing the camera-ready manuscript.