Right to Citizenship Provides People with an Identity and a Sense of Belonging - Essay Example

The right to citizenship provides people with an identity and a sense of belonging. Discuss with particular reference to what the right to citizenship entails Citizenship entails within it the right to own one’s particular land or area. This means that he possesses the right to ask questions from people who disrupt the process of development, positive activity or any other. Citizenship is a growing phenomenon and one that has received quite a lot of appreciation in the time and age of today. The mayors are indeed the frontrunners for taking the coveted awards when it comes to understanding the rationale behind citizenship and the linkages which are created in the name of having a serene and peaceful metropolitan environment. However the real winners are the citizens themselves – more so because it is because of them that the mayors and legislators receive these prizes. Societal relationships the world over are regarded as pertinent since these form the basis of growth and interaction amongst people. The aspect of people-to-people contact is important because they form their own communities and yet live within the domains of the society of which they are an essential part of. Being good citizens of a society means so much more, rather than mere residents within the different locales. (Saul, 2002) It is a wholly different ideology – and one that needs proper understanding by the people who activate the citizens in a positive manner. A perfect society is one in which the citizens are actively geared to reach out to each other, help the fabric of the society and in essence carve out a niche for meeting their own problems on a proactive basis. (Lipschutz, 2001) Similarly, justice and its application is an important ingredient within the active domains of citizenship. It is not only about being fair but it also holds a great deal of importance on being fair and timely. (Stoddart, 2007) It is a true saying that justice delayed is justice denied; for this reason justice takes both these things when it is defined in the truest sense of the word. Justice is radically associated with the mighty men – the rulers and the ones who govern a particular area or a regiment of soldiers. The concepts of civil rights and of civil law are both functions of the concept of civil society whereby it is that bubble of private action free of government control. (Spiro, 1999) It is not free of government action, because government action secures the nature of civil society by the protection of persons against criminal wrongs. The essence of civil society is thus that people are left by government to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, while the government protects the citizens from criminal wrongs of violence, theft, fraud as well as many others. With the changing times, man has empowered himself with the latest means of understanding the world around him. He has taken giant steps in order to acquaint himself with the basics that the world possesses within its fold. (Earley, 1997) There is so much to learn and comprehend that this world is virtually a sea full of just about any and everything that comes under it. There is a lot to take on the part of humanity when it comes to having a grasp of the discussion of knowledge and information, because this at the end of the day is the sole source of understanding all the norms, procedures, routines, pieces of data and just about everything that we know as knowledge and education. To be educated and well-informed within a society is indeed a wise undertaking in the citizenship tenets and it holds more ground than it used to in the times of our forefathers. (Banks, 2004) There is so much to seek, learn and understand that the man seems to go missing in the quagmire. However if he is educated and well-informed and is an active citizen within the domains of the society, then he makes his own way through the zig-zag pathways and thus reaches his destination on all counts. If a person is educated and understands the norms that are taking place within his society, he will get to know what the strengths of the same undertakings are and how it would affect his own life as well as the remaining people within the society. (Reiser, 2001) Thus within the discussions of citizenship, what is most important is to ascertain the kind of responsibility one needs to have within his folds. Performing one’s duty to the best of abilities within a society is a hallmark of any individual. Being responsible and holding others accountable for their pertinent actions is indeed a virtue that one can ever have and this goes a long way in character building. Responsibility usually comes with age in a person but then there are people who are responsible right from the beginning. They learn to act wisely and do all the rational chores from a very young age. This is also taught by parents, teachers and guardians to act responsible and do things the right way. (Boyte, 1998) This is a clear manifestation of the fact that people need to be humans first and then segregate their own selves into different nationalities, ethnicities, religions, sects and classes. Thus, responsible people are usually acclaimed by the relevant authorities and this is something that is looked upon as a sign of respect and trust on the part of the people who consider this person to be a responsible citizen of the state. However with all this comes the downside as well since responsibility has its drawbacks as well. (Phillips, 2003) Thus applying creative thinking abilities within the society’s domains would be fruitful in the end since each one of the society’s members would feel that his pertinent duty has been manifested towards the combined effect which was needed in the first place. The democratic values within the people could only be instilled when they are given a chance to maneuver their rights and ask for the same in an open and direct way. (Lambert, 2001) It is a must that the institutional building measures are encouraged and the facilitation for the same comes with the help of the citizens themselves. All said and done, it is the duty of each one of the society’s members to show their true mettle and prove to the world that they can surely make a difference. Bibliography BANKS, James. (2004). Diversity and Citizenship Education: Global Perspectives. Jossey-Bass BOYTE, Harry. (1998). The Rebirth of Citizenship: Public Work for Common Goals. Commonweal, Vol. 125, December 4 EARLEY, P. (1997). Impetus for Action: A Cultural Analysis of Justice and Organizational Citizenship Behavior in Chinese Society. Administrative Science Quarterly, Vol. 42 LAMBERT, David. (2001). Citizenship through Secondary Geography. RoutledgeFalmer LIPSCHUTZ, Ronnie. (2005). Global Politics as if People Mattered (New Millennium Books in International Studies). Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. PHILLIPS, Tim. (2003). Citizenship in a Global Age: Society, Culture, Politics. Journal of Sociology, Vol. 39 REISER, Sigmund. (2001). The Rights and Responsibilities of Canadian Citizenship. Canadian Speeches, Vol. 15, July SAUL, John. (2002). Volunteers Wanted for Real Citizenship. Queens Quarterly, Vol. 109, Winter SPIRO, Peter. (1999). Civic Ideals: Conflicting Visions of Citizenship in U.S. History. Stanford Law Review, Vol. 51 STODDART, Eric. (2007). Spirituality and Citizenship: Sacramentality in a Parable. Theological Studies, Vol. 68 Word Count: 1,074 Read More