Citizenship (The Library of Contemporary Essays in Political Theory and Public Policy)

Interest in citizenship has never been greater. Politicians of all stripes stress its importance, as do church leaders, captains of industry and every kind of campaigning group. Yet, despite this popularity, the nature and even the very possibility of citizenship has never been more contested. Is citizenship intrinsically linked to political participation or is it essentially a legal status? Does it require membership of a state, or is it only post-national, trans- and possibly supra-national? Is it a universal value that should be the same for all, or does it need to recognise gender and cultural differences? This volume reproduces key articles on these debates - from classic accounts of the historical development of citizenship, to discussions of its contemporary relevance and possible forms in a globalizing world. Interest in citizenship has never been higher. Politicians of all stripes stress its importance, as do church leaders, captains of industry and every kind of campaigning group. Whatever the problem - be it the decline in voting, increased teenage pregnancies or climate change - someone has canvassed the revitalisation of citizenship as part of the solution. Yet, despite this popularity, the nature and even the very possibility of citizenship has never been more contested. For some it is intrinsically linked to political participation for others it is essentially a legal status, for some it requires membership of a state for others it is not only post-national but trans- and possibly supra-national, for some citizenship is a universal value that should be the same for all for others it needs to recognise gender and cultural differences This volume reproduces key articles on the debate about the nature of citizenship, from classic accounts of the historical development of citizenship to discussions of its contemporary relevance and possible forms in a globalizing world. This volume explores the nature of citizenship in modern societies which has become a key term in contemporary politics and political philosophy. The book explores both classic and contemporary debates