Citizenship is a relationship between the individual and state, in which the two are bound together by reciprocal rights and duties. Some view citizenship as a legal status which can be defined objectively, while others see it as an identities, such as nationality, ethnicity religion and class membership. Citizenship is viewed differently depending upon whether it is shaped by individualism or communitarianism. The former, linked to liberalism, advances the principle of a 'citi­zenship of rights, and places particular stress upon private entitle­ment and the status of the individual as an autonomous actor. There are socialist and conservative versions of communitarianism, but each advances the. principle of a 'citizenship of duty', highlighting the importance of civic responsibility. The most contentious question, however, relates to the precise nature of citizenship rights and obligations, and the balance between the two.

One attempt to refine the notion of citizenship is to define its legal substance, by reference to the specific rights and obligations which a state invests in its members. ‘Citizens’ can therefore be distinguished from ‘aliens’. The most fundamental right of citizenship is thus the right to live and work in a country, something which ‘aliens’ or ‘foreign citizens’ may or may not be permitted to do, and then only under certain conditions and for a limited period. Citizens may also be allowed to vote, stand for elections and for a enter certain occupations, notably military or state service, which may not be open to non-citizens. Citizenship must always have a subjective or psychological component: the citizen is distinguished by a frame of mind, a sense of loyalty towards his or her state, even a willingness to act in its defense

Elements Of Citizenship

The idea that citizenship is the proper end of government can be traced back to the political thought of Ancient Greece, and to the belief that an interest in public affairs is a basic feature of individual existence. The classic contribution to the study of citizenship rights was undertaken by T.H.Marshall in ‘Citizenship social Class’ (1963). Marshall defined citizenship as ‘full membership of a community’ and attempted to outline the process through which it was achieved. Marshall Analysis has had far broader influence in discriminating between the various rights of citizenship.      

Social rights, in turn, could be said to imply an obligation to pay the taxes which finance the provision of education, healthcare, pensions and other benefits. Such duties and obligations must be underpinned by what Derek Heater ( 1990) called ‘civic virtue’, a sense of loyalty towards one’s state and willing acceptance of the responsibilities that living within a community entails.

The idea of social citizenship arose out of the writings of T.H. Marshall and the emphasis he placed upon social rights. For Marshall, citizenship was a universal quality enjoyed by all members of the community and therefore demanded equal rights and entitlements. citizenship is ultimately a social equality. In enjoy freedom form poverty, ignorance and despair if they are to participate fully in the affairs of their community, an idea embodied in the concept of social rights. This is the why the idea of social citizenship is associated with the development of welfare sate to alleviate poverty and hardship, and guarantee its citizenship at least a social minimum. During the twentieth century, social citizenship has been accepted more widely and the notion of social rights has become part of the currency of political argument and debate. The US civil rights movement in the 1960s, for instance, campaigned for the urban development and improved job and educational opportunities for blacks, as well as for their right to vote and hold political office. Groups such as women, ethnic minorities, the poor and the unemployed , commonly regard themselves as ‘ second class citizens’ because social disadvantage prevents their full participation in the life of the community. 

By contrast, totalitarian states like Nazi Germany. In which the individual’s responsibilities to the state are absolute and unlimited, can be said to practice ‘total citizenship’.

Finally, it must be recognized that citizenship is merely one of a number of identities which the individual possesses. This is what Heater termed ‘multiple citizenship’, an idea that acknowledges that citizens have a broader range of loyalties and responsibilities than simply to their nation-state .This can take into account the geographical dimension of citizenship, allowing citizens to identify with supranational bodies and even  with the global community , as well as with their particular region or locality.

Thus, the political right tends to endorse a narrow view of citizenship that stresses only civil and political rights, the rights that are exercised within civil society and rights of participation. The political left, by contrast, tends to endorse 'social citizenship', the idea that citizens are entitled to a social minimum, expressed in terms of social and wel­fare rights.

Opponents of the very idea of citizenship include liber­tarians who reject the notion that individuals have a broader social identity and responsibilities. Marxists may also criticize citizenship the grounds that it masks the reality of unequal class power, while feminists may do so because it takes no account of patriarchal oppression. Nevertheless, the rise of communitarianism and the emergence of 'new social democracy has led to a revival of interest in citizenship, as an attempt to re-establish a 'rights and responsibil­ities' agenda and to counterbalance the market individualism of the New Right. This is usually associated with the idea of 'active citizenship', a notion that places particular emphasis upon the social duties and moral responsibilities of citizens.