The Components of Citizenship
The concept of citizenship is comprised of three main components: the civil or legal component, the political component and the social component. These three components interact with and influence each other. A country gives its citizens certain privileges and rights and in exchange, citizens are asked to defend their country and uphold its laws. The value and attributes of citizenship differ from country to country. In some nations, citizenship gives citizens the rights to vote, to receive unemployment payments and to hold positions in government, among others.
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Civil or Legal Component
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The civil or legal component of citizenship includes the security of the individual. It also includes the individual freedoms of religion, equality, speech and the right to assembly and association. The citizen must act according to the law and has the right to call on the protection of the law. It does not mean that the citizen is necessarily involved in formulating the law. Citizens are expected to obey the laws of their country, state and community and are expected to contribute by paying taxes. To ensure maximum protection of citizens in the U.S., the Bill of Rights, which initially contained 10 amendments to the Constitution, was added in 1791.
Political Component
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The political component of citizenship refers to the citizen's right to participate in the political institutions of a society for the achievement of collective goals at a societal level. Citizens do not have to be government workers to exercise their basic rights that may affect government policy. Citizens may gather, lobby, petition and protest in order to vocalize their views and feelings. Participating in their government ensures that power remains with the people. Voting gives citizens a say in the government and a means to choose who will represent them in government.
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Social or Identity Component
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The societal component of citizenship refers to the access that a citizen has to the society's resources. Employment, housing, health care and education are some of the benefits of societal citizenship.
Relations between the Components
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There are complicated relations between the three components. For example, the rights that are given to a citizen will determine, in part, the spectrum of political activities that are available to him. Those who have a strong civic identity are often more inclined to be active participants in the political life of the society to which they belong. The three components of citizenship are a way to measure the degree to which members of a society are viewed as full citizens.
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References
- Photo Credit us passport image by Albert Lozano from Fotolia.com
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it clear my vision about citizenship theory.
