Contextual analysis report: participatory citizenship in the European Union Institute of Education

Abstract

The concept of citizenship as merely a legal concept has been considered too narrow for modern democratic society for a number of reasons:
? Having legal rights is insufficient to enable equal possibilities for all citizens to
activate their rights. Participatory forms of Citizenship require the capability to exercise rights.
? Gaining and maintaining rights requires constant action and vigilance from citizens,and a legal definition does not encompass these processes.
? The legal definition emphasizes rights, and places less emphasis on obligations.Obligations of the state upon the citizen are not always legally framed, but occur as citizens’ perceptions of norms. These participatory norms, for example voting, are crucial for the health of democracy.
? The legal definition focuses on the relationship between the state and the individual,and ignores the relationship between citizens and the associations they form, as wellas the importance of associative life in the balance of democracy. In this regard,citizens need to participate in civic and political life in order to ensure the
accountability of the state, and the legitimation of democracy

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