GE E4 Global Citizenship

Module 1

Topic A. What is Citizenship?

B. Importance of Citizenship
C. Benefits of Global Citizenship
D. Aims of Global Citizenship

Discussion

A. What is Citizenship?

A “citizen” is a member of a political community, which is defined by a set of rights and

obligations. “Citizenship therefore represents a relationship between the individual and the
state, in which the two are bound together by reciprocal rights and obligations” (Heywood).
Citizenship is generally used as a synonym for nationality. Where citizenship is used
in a meaning that is different from nationality it refers to the legal rights and duties of
individuals attached to nationality under domestic law. In some national laws, citizenship has
a more specific meaning and refers to rights and duties that can only be exercised after the
age of majority (such as voting rights) or to rights and duties that can only be exercised in the
national territory.
The value of citizenship varies from nation to nation. In some countries, citizenship can mean
a citizen has the right to vote, the right to hold government offices, and the right to collect
unemployment insurance payments.
Living in a country does not mean that a person is necessarily a citizen of that country.
Citizens of one country who live in a foreign country are known as aliens. Their rights and
duties are determined by political treaties and by the laws of the country in which they stay.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A GLOBAL CITIZEN?

A global citizen is aware of and understands the wider world – and their place in it. They are
a citizen of the world. They take an active role in their community and work with others to
make our planet more peaceful, sustainable and fairer.

EXAMPLES OF GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP

Global citizenship involves...
• Exploring local and global connections and our views, values and assumptions
• Exploring issues of social justice locally and globally
• Exploring the complexity of global issues and engaging with multiple perspectives
• Applying learning to real-world issues and contexts
• Opportunities to make informed, reflective action and be heard

4 Components of Citizenship

PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY

  Membership
Membership constitutes one's status of who and who isn't a member of a state's political
community as not all of those living in a state are all considered to be citizens.

Citizenship is akin to membership of a club - your application can be denied if you do not
possess the appropriate credentials, or your membership terminated if you break the rules.
Nations and states often face issues of citizenship in specially when it comes to marginalized
groups residing within the state. This includes women, ethnic groups, and refugees among
others.

 Rights
Rights are an essential component of citizenship, although this has not always been the case;
some early uses of the term prioritized participation over rights or duties.

Classification of Rights

Civil Rights-liberty of the person, freedom of speech, thought and faith, the right to own
property and to conclude valid contracts, and the right to justice, which are provided for,
Marshall argued, by the legal system.
Political Rights-power as a member of a governing body or an elector of such a body,
allowed for by the nature of the democratic system.
Social Rights-as befits a member of civil society, and allowed for by the Welfare State.

 Duties
The least discussed of the three as it is complimentary with rights. Though it is important to
note the duties can exist with our rights. Examples of duties includes national service. The
discourse of citizenship appears automatically to view rights and duties as reciprocal. But
even arguments for universal rights often carry with them an unwritten flip side: the duty to
obey the rights of others, without which the rights themselves, some argue, lose salience.

 Participation
In the Ancient Greek use of the term, as employed for example by Aristotle, citizenship was
always primarily about participation, that is, about empowerment to become active in the
governing of a society.

The Origins of Citizenship

The word citizen derives from the Latin, civitas, but, as Clarke points out, the ‘idea of
citizenship, understood as active membership of and participation in a body politic, is
generally regarded as emerging first in Greece at about 600–700 BC
It emerged along with the polis, the city state, in which the political collective regulated
certain economic activities, allowing citizens the freedom to participate in what is possibly
the earliest form of political system.
The Greek system is focused on the concept of being and becoming human. Highlighting that
through citizenship is only means to be considered as human.
In contrast to this model, Roman citizenship, which developed at around 500 BC, stressed

PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY

citizenship as legal status.
Greek tradition saw citizenship as all-important. In Rome, it was a means of achieving
security and status.
The citizenship ideal predated the modern nation-state, even if legal definitions tend to
presume that citizenships can only apply to the relationship between individuals and nation-
states.
The citizenship ideal which began in Greece and subsequently influenced later civilizations
spawned various such interpretations.

B. Importance of Global Citizenship

You’ve probably heard the term “global citizen” several times by now. Especially in our
over-connected world, it sometimes feels like a necessity in how you identify yourself.
For those that are unaware, a global citizen is someone who identifies with being part of an
emerging world community and whose actions contribute to building this community’s
values and practices. But what does it mean to be a global citizen?
Being a global citizen
Throughout human history, we have always organized ourselves into groups and
communities that share similar values, ideas, culture, and an overall identity. This, in turn,
helped and still helps shape our needs economically, politically, religiously and socially. But
in the 21st century, as the world has less physical and communication barriers, we’ve seen a
rise in higher demand for global engagement, resulting in global citizens who crave a sense of
belonging to a world community rather than a small, local one.
In the classroom, students can start to face issues of global independence through an
economics course, diversity of identities and cultures in a history course, sustainable
development in an environmental science course and more. Classes that allow for varied
learning methods such as debate and role-playing are becoming an increasing necessity for
your basic school curriculum.
As a result, students learn to become successful learners, confident individuals, responsible
citizens, and effective contributors. All in all, this will allow students to explore, develop and
express their own values and opinions. They will increase their listening and respecting skills
of others and their opinions and be able to make informed choices that not only affect them
but others as well. Thus, the future of the world lies in the hands of the youth.

1. You become more aware

A global citizen is aware that we live in an interconnected web where many of our
actions and choices affect those locally, nationally and many times even internationally. They
are able to respect themselves as well as others, regardless of where they live.
A result of thinking globally means you’ll see more people advocate for serious issues. Some
of these matters could include human rights, religious pluralism, gender equity, the rule of
law, environmental protection, sustainable economic growth, and poverty alleviation.

2. You participate in the community

Generally, a global citizen tries to have an understanding of how the world works and
tries to stay well-informed. They participate in the community at a range of levels from the

PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY

local to the global and are willing to act to make the world a more equitable and sustainable

place. That’s where the youth comes in.

3. You become a problem-solver

With a global citizenship education, young people are able to solve problems, make
decisions, think critically, communicate ideas effectively and work well with others. This not
only helps them personally and educationally but eventually professionally as well. Thus, a
global education in the classroom is paramount. You have several opportunities to be
flexible, creative and proactive.

BENEFITS OF GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP

Global citizenship helps young people to:

 Build their own understanding of world events.

 Think about their values and what's important to them.
 Take learning into the real world.
 Challenge ignorance and intolerance.
 Get involved in their local, national, and global communities.
 Develop an argument and voice their opinions.
 See that they have power to act and influence the world around them.

GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES

A global citizen, living in an emerging world community, has moral, ethical, political, and
economic responsibilities. These responsibilities include:

#1 Responsibility to understand one’s own perspective and the perspectives of others on

global issues.
# 2 Responsibility to respect the principle of cultural diversity.
# 3 Responsibility to make connections and build relationships with people from other
countries and cultures.
#4 Responsibility to understand the ways in which the peoples and countries of the world are
inter-connected and inter-dependent
#5 Responsibility to understand global issues
#6 Responsibility to advocate for greater international cooperation with other nations
#7 Responsibility for advocating for the implementation of international agreements,
conventions, treaties related to global issues.
#8 Responsibility for advocating for more effective global equity and justice in each of the
value domains of the world community.

Aims of Global Citizenship

Some Aims of Global Citizenship Education
Global citizenship education aims at:
a. Creating a better world that is based on considering
and respecting others;
b. Listening carefully to one another;

PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY

c. Being understandable and avoiding misunderstanding.
d. Stabilizing the notion of fairness, diversity and peace.
e. Appreciating solidarity.
f. Promoting responsibility.

References:

Books:
[1] Abdi, A. A. and Shultz, L. (Eds.). (2008). Educating for Human Rights and Global
Citizenship. Retrieved from https://books.google.dz/books?id=MR7PeCZE9b0C&printsep
=frontcover&dq=global+citizenship&hl=fr&sa=X&ved=0aaa
hUKEw4pL5zMjUAhVIVxQKHY45AYsQ6AEITTAG#v=on epage&q=global
%20citizenship&f=false [2] Andreotti, O. V. and Souza T. M. M. L. (2012). Postcolonial
Perspectives on Global Citizenship Education. UK: Routledge. [3] Angle, C. (2004).
Defining Ethics Good and Evil. Retrieved from https://books.google.dz/ books?
id=Xa9gW7Ih6LIC&printsec=frontcover&dq=what+is
+ethics&hl=fr&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwih5p6zs7X
QAhWBkBQKHWqyDs8Q6AEIUTAH#v=onepage&q=what %20is%20ethics&f=false [4]
Collins, M. (2008). Global Citizenship for Young Children. Retrieved from
https://books.google.dz/books?id=9YHDFR1AhvoC&printsec
=frontcover&dq=global+citizenship&hl=fr&sa=X&ved=0ahU
KEwiB4pL5zMjUAhVIVxQKHY45AYsQ6AEIPTAE#v=one page&q=global
%20citizenship&f=false [5] Dill, S. J. (2013). The Longings and Limits of Global Citizenship
Education: The Moral Pedagogy of Schooling in a Cosmopolitan Age. Retrieved from
https://books.google.dz/books?id=_eodAAAAQBAJ&printsec
=frontcover&dq=global+citizenship+education&hl=fr&sa=X
&ved=0ahUKEwiozrqHzcjUAhVBaxQKHW3- AVwQ6AEINjAD#v=onepage&q=global
%20citizenship%20e ducation&f=false

Electronic Resources:

https://www.theglobalcitizensinitiative.org/the-rights-and-responsibilities-of-global-
citizenship/
https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/efacademyblog/importance-global-citizen-education/

https://www.oxfam.org.uk/education/who-we-are/what-is-global-citizenship/
#:~:text=Global%20citizenship%20helps%20young%20people,learning%20into
%20the%20real%20world.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2ykqqiinug

PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY