Rights or privileges? The challenge of globalization to the values of citizenship

Abstract

Citizenship is a broad concept that varies in both theory and practice across different traditions and schools of thought. However, the dominant Western conceptions of democratic citizenship, the liberal and civic republican approaches, share some core values. Citizenship is a membership concept and founded upon the principle of equality between citizens. Equality has different articulations and usages but it forms the core of citizenship theory and practice for liberals and civic republicans. The other core value discussed here is the right to participate. In fact, I argue that participation also has in many cases presupposed the right to participate. It is my argument here that these values of citizenship are now challenged by globalization. It challenges the ability of the state to implement the values of citizenship. More importantly, the neoliberal principles of the global economy are inherently linked to a political logic of globalization that also creates and intensifies global inequalities and undermines the values of equality and right to participate in the global community. However, globalization, while creating a challenge to the values of citizenship, also can provide some solutions to those challenges. Namely, participation and civic activism, such as Social Movement Unionism, can be the key for citizens claiming rights in the global community and restoring some of the values of citizenship in the age of neoliberal globalization.