Citizenship and Social Difference

Abstract

In Chapter 4 we prefigured certain of the essential arguments which are to be developed in this chapter when we explained that the dominant traditions of citizenship discourse leave out of account social differences based on gender and ethnicity. Citizenship is a ‘totalising’ concept which, though it may purport to be gender neutral, constructs the citizen as essentially universal, ahistorical and masculine. The development of citizenship, what is more, has been associated with the development of exclusive territorial administration and the nation-state: in the process, concepts of citizenship may become more or less explicitly racialised.

[Citizenship] means belonging to a country, town, area, whatever; belonging to something or somebody. Somebody’s acknowledged your existence. That’s about it really.… I’m probably one of those statistics that make up the citizens of Great Britain, but apart from that.…

[Middle-aged woman, divorcee, with well paid full-time employment]

You’re only a citizen really if you play sport or you’re doing something really constructive for the country. Otherwise, you’re not. You’re just one of those West Indian chaps who’s on the dole an’ stealing our money and taking our jobs an’ stuff. … Other people don’t think of me as a citizen. I personally do. … I’m quite proud of being British, even if they’re not proud to have me. Well you’re stuck with me an’ I’m not going nowhere.

[Thirty-something British-born African-Caribbean man in low paid part-time employment]