Citizenship in Britain

Abstract

There are increasing concerns about changes in society and the economy which are undermining the effectiveness of democracy and weakening traditional conceptions of citizenship. What does it mean to be a British citizen in the early part of the 21st century? This book presents the first major empirical study of citizenship in Britain, comprising surveys of political participation and voluntary activities, and of the beliefs and values which underpin them. As well as presenting new data, the authors provide a sophisticated discussion of the concept of citizenship, and the consequences of a lack of civic engagement in a modern democracy. It examines why some people are 'good' citizens when others are 'bad' and it explores the consequences of citizenship for policy-makers and democracy. Comprehensive and accessible, this book makes a major contribution to our understanding of civic attitudes in Britain today and will appeal to students, researchers and policy-makers.

John Dewey and the Democratic Role of Higher Education in England

“…Democracies provide the condition for the development of different ways of living whilst at the same time providing the mechanisms by which citizens can mutually recognize each others' interests and consider their own views in relation to them. Dewey's broad conception of democracy has become even more relevant in the current political climate, given declining involvement in conventional forms of politics, and the emergence of new norms and new modes of political participation (Dalton 2008;Pattie, Seyd, and Whiteley 2004).…”

PFI and the Performative Politics of Dissent: Lessons for Democratic Education

“…Firstly, the findings imply that democratic education ought to pay attention to young people's actual experiences of democracy and citizenship, and that direct action over single issues are an important part of this. In this sense, the trend towards more diffuse forms of political participation outside of mainstream channels (Pattie et al, 2004) is something that might be harnessed positively, as also implied by O'Toole et al 's (2003) research. In addition, it implies that such actual experiences of democracy, whilst local and embedded in the day to day lives of young people, are also strongly bound up with broader political questions, and that lived experiences in which the clash between public and private has a real impact on people's experiences can be an important catalyst for democratic action.…”

Citizen participation in urban local government: a case study of Kanaighat Paurashava in Bangladesh

“…The success of participation also depends on citizens' capacity as stakeholders in terms of education, wealth and civic skills (Pattie et al 2004;Skelcher and Torfing 2010). Verba et al (1995) in their SES (socioeconomic status) model argued that people with higher socioeconomic status (money, education and civic skills) are more active in politics.…”