📘 POLITICAL THEORY – CITIZENSHIP
Belonging • Rights • Duties • Identity • Inclusion • Exclusion
1️⃣ WHAT IS CITIZENSHIP?
Citizenship refers to legal and political membership in a state.
It determines:
- Who belongs to a political community
- Who has rights
- Who has duties
- Who participates in governance
Thus, citizenship is both a legal status and a political identity.
2️⃣ HISTORICAL EVOLUTION
🔹 Ancient Greece
Citizenship limited to male property owners.
🔹 Roman Empire
Expanded citizenship as legal status.
🔹 Modern Nation-State
Citizenship linked to sovereignty and nationalism.
🔹 20th Century
Universal citizenship irrespective of class, gender or race.
3️⃣ T.H. MARSHALL – CLASSIC THEORY
T.H. Marshall divided citizenship into three stages:
- Civil Rights – Freedom of speech, property, equality before law
- Political Rights – Right to vote and contest elections
- Social Rights – Welfare, education, healthcare
Marshall argued citizenship evolved gradually from civil → political → social.
4️⃣ LIBERAL VIEW OF CITIZENSHIP
- Individual rights are central
- Equal legal status
- State protects freedoms
5️⃣ MARXIST CRITIQUE
Marxists argue liberal citizenship hides economic inequality.
Formal equality exists, but material inequality persists.
True citizenship requires class abolition.
6️⃣ COMMUNITARIAN VIEW
- Citizenship rooted in shared values
- Emphasis on duties and community
- Critique of excessive individualism
7️⃣ FEMINIST PERSPECTIVE
- Traditional citizenship excluded women
- Public-private divide marginalized women
- Demand gender-sensitive citizenship
8️⃣ MULTICULTURALISM & DIFFERENTIATED CITIZENSHIP
Modern societies are diverse.
Will Kymlicka argues for group-differentiated rights.
Examples:- Minority cultural rights
- Affirmative action
- Indigenous autonomy
9️⃣ GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP
With globalization, migration and climate change, citizenship debates go beyond nation-states.
Concepts:- Dual citizenship
- Post-national citizenship
- Human rights beyond borders
🔟 CITIZENSHIP IN INDIA
Articles 5–11 of the Indian Constitution define citizenship.
Key Features:- Single citizenship
- Citizenship by birth, descent, registration, naturalization
- Parliament regulates citizenship laws
- Migration
- Refugees
- Identity politics
- Citizenship Amendment debates
📝 UPSC MAINS QUESTIONS
- Discuss T.H. Marshall’s theory of citizenship.
- Is citizenship merely a legal status or a moral relationship?
- Examine feminist critique of traditional citizenship.
- Is global citizenship possible in a sovereign world?
- Discuss citizenship debates in India.
📌 QUICK REVISION MAP
- Citizenship = Membership + Rights + Duties
- Marshall → Civil + Political + Social
- Liberal → Individual rights
- Marxist → Economic critique
- Feminist → Gender critique
- Multicultural → Group rights
- India → Single citizenship
Citizenship defines who belongs. Politics defines how they are governed.
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