Citizenship and Social Theory - Essay Example

?Citizenship Citizenship Democracy is a form of governance; the government is of people, by people with its active consent of the majority. A democracy is meant to safeguard the majority against tyranny. In a liberal democracy, decisions are not centralized to the politicians but rather by citizens’ juries. An ideal state should always ensure that its citizens are free to express themselves and they should not be restrained. The United States of America experiences a crisis of citizenship in the sense that the American people feel disconnected from their nation or society that they do not wish to work for or do something great for it (Jeffrey et al, 2010). American citizens need to be active and engage in daily operation of the government activities in order to establish a just and liberal society. Therefore, it is the significant for civic, local, small, and religious groups get detailed knowledge and education significant to administer the right combination of compassion, loving and active discipline necessary for each citizen. This in turn will foster citizenship, encouraging civic pride and nurturing American families. Citizens must be ready and willing to agree and adhere to the regulations, tenets, obligations, and rules by which they are governed. Democratic governments give many freedoms to their citizens incorporating the freedom to criticize and dissent the government. Citizenship in a democratic country needs civility, patience, and participation. Democratic citizens realize that they have rights and responsibilities (Jeffrey et al, 2010). Due to this, they are challenged to understand that democracy needs hard work and an investment of time. Therefore, a government of the people requires consistent support and vigilance by the governed. Responsibilities of citizens in a democracy demand the need for collective self-government and a personal sense of social concern as member of a polity. This shows a multifaceted nature of citizenship as a practice and philosophy that values the objectives and goals of equality, fraternity, and liberty. In democratic states such as the United States of America, the civic participation or engagement implies that citizens are required to act as juries or offer mandatory civilian or military national service for a certain period (Jeffrey et al, 2010). In addition, other obligations apply to the democratic ideals and are the main roles or responsibilities of the citizen. For instance, a sole responsibility among these is the respect for the rule of law. It is significant for citizens to pay their taxes, respect the rights of other people who have different ideas or opinions from theirs’, and accepting the power of the elected government are some of the responsibilities of a citizen in a democracy. A citizen in a democratic government has the role of pursuing the common good of the community. Therefore, it is important to lay emphasis on the principles of voluntarism or freedom in that the government or the authority does not have the right to compel and force its citizens to be good but it can offer incentives as well as sanctions for bad or unacceptable behaviors. A democratic government needs to have educated, aggressive and responsible citizens who act in accordance with the various civic virtues such as self-determination, freedom from oppressive government and interdependence. This is because in absence of active citizen participation and without practice of civic virtue in the life of a community, democratic institutions such as the State and market and the entire civil society cannot operate in a sustainable manner (Jeffrey et al, 2010). Democratic citizens understand that they bear the burden of roles for their community if indeed they have to benefit from the government’s guard of their rights. In order for democracy to succeed, its citizens must be aggressive since they are aware that the failure or success of the government is their obligation and responsibility. In turn, the government understands that it must treat its citizens equally and that unequal treatment or biasness has no place in a democracy. In order for democracy in the United States of America to succeed, it is important for American people to know that if they are unhappy with their leaders, they should vote them out of office in order to get the change they need. This is because democracies require more than occasional votes from the governed in order to remain stable and healthy. Therefore, citizens have the responsibility to have steady commitment, time, and attention of a big number of the governed who, in turn, seek government protection of their freedoms and rights. In addition, it is the duty of citizens in a democratic government to campaigns for leaders or candidates of their choice. Citizens are also encouraged to join political parties (Marshall, 1950). An active citizenship in a democracy calls for an awareness of interdependencies and similar social, economic and environmental concerns which in turn inform themselves of the social and economic conditions of their fellow citizens and pay attention to significant matters and issues contributing to policy decisions either directly or indirectly. American citizens needs to engage in a deliberatively in the sense they form their own judgments and decisions, they are ready to describe and explain their own positions to listen to other opinions and to review their views in deliberation. In this manner, they will be in a position to assist or help one another to solve their problems, address issues of concern in the public area, and defend the interests of fellow citizens subject to biasness and injustices as well as defending or protecting themselves (Turner, 1994). In sum, citizenship in American society should be about decision-making, democracy, participation, and politics in the governance of the nation as it concerns assisting out and volunteering. Assisting fellow citizens and volunteering is significant because they aid in supporting the community’s well being which is what political activists do. It is also vital to note that it is essential to exercise civility since it is the building block of democracy. It shows the willingness of the citizens to respect the code of conduct and the rule of law. Knowing and comprehending issue from all sides assists citizens when making informed and rational decisions. References Jeffrey M. B, Kent E. P., & Thomson, K. (2010) “The Rebirth of Urban Democracy”. New York, NY: Sage. Marshall, T.H. (1950). Citizenship and social class and other essays. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Turner, B. S. (1994). Citizenship and Social Theory. New York, NY: Sage. Read More