Citizenship is a relationship between a person and a state that grants the person rights and responsibilities. A person can become a citizen by birth or by becoming a naturalized citizen. Some people think that citizenship is a modern Western phenomenon, but others believe it has always existed in some form.
A good citizen is loyal to his country and its values. He votes in elections and pays taxes. He follows what happens in his government and tries to influence policy. A good citizen also defends the rights of people that his country does not like. He donates money and time to organizations that want to protect individual rights. He will even fight against his own government if it becomes tyrannical. A good citizen is also patriotic and loves his country.
The concept of citizenship is complex, and the definition varies by nation. For example, in the United States, a person is a citizen if his parents are citizens or if he lives in the United States for five years after age 14. The state where the person lives may have additional requirements. For example, some states require a certain amount of schooling to be a citizen.
In addition, a person can be a citizen of more than one country at the same time. For example, some people have dual citizenship in the United States and Canada. Citizenship is also different in tribal communities. Each tribe has core cultural values that are based on the relationship between humans and non-humans in the community.
Despite the differences in definitions of citizenship, many surveys find that there are some common indicators of citizenship. For example, a majority of Americans say that voting in national elections is very important to being a good citizen. Other commonly cited indicators include obeying the law, paying taxes and volunteering to help others.
Some scholars have used the term ‘citizenship’ to refer to a particular social role, rather than to a formal status. Giorgio Agamben suggests that the concept of citizenship arose with the development of city-states in ancient Greece. He argues that the word itself derives from politia, which refers both to the political assembly and the polis, or city-state.
Some of the most powerful tools for creating a well-functioning democracy are public education and civic participation. Schools are increasingly offering curricula that give students experiences with identifying problems, coming up with solutions inside and outside the classroom and getting involved in local politics and community action projects. These experiences can teach young adults the importance of having a voice in their own futures and developing skills that will allow them to influence their communities in positive ways. These lessons can also demonstrate to young adults that they have the ability to create positive change in their communities, regardless of their economic situations or level of access to political institutions. They just need to be willing to put in the work.