What is Citizenship?

“This is an excellent book. It would not be possible for any good university course dealing with citizenship to omit this book from those items on the reading list marked ‘essential’…The sharpness of thought shown in this book will make it easier to avoid the pitfalls and encourage people to reach for something that is coherent and meaningful…Superlatives are overused, but this book is a classic.” Jan Davies, University of York

Structured analytically, the book introduces the reader to all the facets of citizenship. These are illustrated by reference both to a broad range of theoretical writing from Aristotle to the present day, and to the actual provisions of the status in a number of countries. The volume explores, in addition, a diverse range of pressing issues, including: the differences between the civic republican and liberal styles of citizenship; the origins and current relationship between citizenship and nationality and the issue of multiculturalism; the problems experienced by second-class citizens; the concept of multiple citizenship including the status of EU citizenship; the changing definition of world citizenship; and the role of education in creating citizens.

This book provides an invaluable introduction to this concept for students, teachers, and the general reader interested in the debates about citizenship today.