Citizenship Political Engagement And Belonging

Immigration is continuously and rapidly changing the face of Western countries. While newcomers are harbingers of change, host nations also participate in how new populations are incorporated into their social and political fabric. Bringing together a transcontinental group of anthropologists, this book provides an in-depth look at the current processes of immigration, political behavior, and citizenship in both the United States and Europe. Essays draw on issues of race, national identity, religion, and more, while addressing questions, including: How should citizenship be defined? In what ways do immigrants use the political process to achieve group aims? And, how do adults and youth learn to become active participants in the public sphere? Among numerous case studies, examples include instances of racialized citizenship in “Algerian France,” Ireland’s new citizenship laws in response to asylum-seeking mothers, the role of Evangelical Christianity in creating a space for the construction of an identity that transcends state borders, and the Internet as one of the new public spheres for the expression of citizenship, be it local, national, or global.

This book argues that basing citizenship on singular and individual membership in a nation-state is no longer adequate, since the nation-state model itself is being severely eroded. It examines issues of citizenship and difference in the Asia-Pacific region.

Interest in citizenship has never been higher. But what does it mean to be a citizen in a modern, complex community? Richard Bellamy approaches the subject of citizenship from a political perspective and, in clear and accessible language, addresses the complexities behind this highly topical issue.

What does it take to become a citizen of a particular nation? Is it justified to restrict membership of a society, and if so, on what grounds? This book explores a series of pressing, controversial issues surrounding the acquisition of citizenship, in theory and practice.

Essays presented in January 1992 at a Roundtable on Citizenship sponsored by the Faculty of Law at the U. of Ottawa discuss what it means to be a Canadian and how Canadian citizenship must evolve if it is to serve a unifying ideal. The essays are organized in four broad categories: history; regions; law, constitutionalism, and economics; and individuals and groups. No index. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Never has the world experienced greater movement of peoples from one country to another, from one continent to another. These seismic shifts in population have brought about huge challenges for all societies. In this year’s Massey Lectures, Canada’s twenty-sixth Governor General and bestselling author Adrienne Clarkson argues that a sense of belonging is a necessary mediation between an individual and a society. She masterfully chronicles the evolution of citizenship throughout the ages: from the genesis of the idea of the citizen in ancient Greece, to the medieval structures of guilds and class; from the revolutionary period which gave birth to the modern nation-state, to present-day citizenship based on shared values, consensus, and pluralism. Clarkson places particular emphasis on the Canadian model, which promotes immigration, parliamentary democracy, and the rule of law, and the First Nations circle, which embodies notions of expansion and equality. She concludes by looking forward, using the Bhutanese example of Gross National Happiness to determine how we measure up today and how far we have to go to bring into being the citizen, and the society, of tomorrow.

This book explores the extent to which the varied political status of Latinos is changing the meaning of citizenship and belonging in the United States. It brings together broad theoretical considerations of citizenship with discussions of historical and contemporary case studies pertaining to Latinos and current debates on citizenship. Focusing on Latinos' historical and continuing struggles against exclusion, the authors of this anthology discuss issues such as Latinos' multiple national allegiances, dual citizenship, the changing meaning(s) of belonging, their transnational political and social participation, the question of language and citizenship, regional cultural citizenship and loyalties, and the mobilization of Latino youth in their struggle to affirm their rights and belonging in US society.

Around the world today, young people are being called upon to develop civic competence and carry the burden of forging a political future in the midst of impoverishment, exclusion and inequality. In societies that have experienced civil war, military occupation, mass immigration of displaced people or social conflict, the conditions under which young people attempt to build their citizenship are not well understood. Youth Citizenship and the Politics of Belonging contributes to the field of youth citizenship studies by purposively exploring the experiences of young adults in the context of the formation of nationhood and global citizenship. It explores, from the perspective of various countries, the role of social context and schooling in creating young citizens. This collection offers a unique opportunity to hear the voices of young people themselves who, as ‘learner citizens’ within educational institutions, poor communities and refugee camps, amongst other settings, expose the tensions between social inclusion and marginalization. The book considers young people’s contemporary social movements, their activism and their sense of belonging. It looks at understandings of national, political and religious identities, youth rights, and various forms of state, community and sexual violence as well as strategic coping strategies, their reinterpretations of civic messages, and the ways in which anger, resistance and disengagement put youth in a difficult position. This book was originally published as a special issue of Comparative Education.