The government began consultation on proposals for promoting 'civil renewal' - defined as giving people the skills, confidence and opportunities to contribute actively in their communities, to engage with civic institutions and democratic processes, to be able to influence the policies and services that affected their lives, and to make the most of their communities' human, financial and physical assets. The Home Secretary also published a pamphlet emphasising the importance of civil renewal, and setting out his ideas about how it could work in practice.
Source: Building Civil Renewal: Review of government support for community capacity building and proposals for change, Civil Renewal Unit/Home Office (fax: 020 7035 5386) | David Blunkett MP, Active Citizens, Strong Communities Progressing Civil Renewal, Home Office (0870 000 1585)
Links: Consultation document (pdf) | Blunkett pamphlet (pdf) | Home Office press release
Date: 2003-Dec
The government said that its plans for citizenship ceremonies to welcome new citizens had been backed in the results of a consultation exercise.
Source: Press release 9 December 2003, Home Office (0870 000 1585)
Links: Home Office press release
Date: 2003-Dec
A report examined ways of measuring the development of civil society and social capital, and began to create an information resource to enable this to be done more systematically.
Source: Unravelling the Maze: Survey of civil society in the UK, Centre for Research and Innovation in Social Policy and Practice (0191 232 6942)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2003-Nov
A paper discussed the importance of a large and active political party membership for the long-term health of the democratic process. It argued that parties should reconsider their definition of membership and introduce registered supporter schemes to operate alongside membership schemes.
Source: Broadening Participation: Thinking beyond party membership, New Politics Network (020 7278 4443)
Links: Summary
Date: 2003-Nov
A report described the results of a survey of 20,000 people that set out to investigate levels of individual expectation of, and obligation, to the state; the extent and types of individual participation; levels of trust among individuals; levels of individual identification with, and integration in, different communities; and levels of individual satisfaction with democratic institutions and policy outcomes.
Source: Patrick Seyd and Charles Pattie, A Citizen Audit for Britain, Economic and Social Research Council (01793 413000)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2003-Nov
A new book explored the role of government in encouraging or deterring the claiming of benefit entitlements, as a way of understanding changing political perspectives and attitudes towards citizens and their social rights.
Source: Penny Leonard, Promoting Welfare?: Government information policy and social citizenship, Policy Press, available from Marston Book Services (01235 465500)
Links: Summary
Date: 2003-Oct
A survey of 60 schools in England found that citizenship classes were seen as relevant to their lives by the vast majority of pupils: but many teachers felt there was a lack of practical support for the subject.
Source: Citizenship in the National Curriculum: One year on, Community Service Volunteers (020 7278 6601)
Links: CSV press release and link to report (pdf)
Date: 2003-Sep
An official survey found that formal volunteering and civic participation activities were highly concentrated among people in more affluent social groups. The government said the survey highlighted a need to encourage greater civic activity among those from poorer, deprived communities and people with no qualifications.
Source: Chris Attwood, Gurchand Singh, Duncan Prime, Rebecca Creasey et al., 2001 Home Office Citizenship Survey: People, families and communities, Research Study 270, Home Office (020 7273 2084) | Press release 16 September 2003, Home Office (0870 000 1585)
Links: Report (pdf) | Home Office press release
Date: 2003-Sep
The Home Secretary argued that individuals achieved their full potential when they were active as citizens in shaping their own lives and contributing to the governance of the community of which they were a part.
Source: David Blunkett MP, Towards a Civil Society, Institute for Public Policy Research (020 7470 6100)
Links: Pamphlet (pdf)
Date: 2003-Sep
A report argued for a 'citizen's income' to be introduced - an unconditional, non-withdrawable and automatic income for every citizen. It discussed the definition of those to whom the citizen's income should be paid, and the effect it would have on the nature of citizenship.
Source: Citizenship and a Citizen's Income, Citizen's Income Trust (020 8305 1222)
Links: Report
Date: 2003-Sep
Researchers explored the potential for education to have a positive impact on overall social cohesion and the levels of trust with societies.
Source: John Preston and Andy Green, The Macro-Social Benefits of Education, Training and Skills in Comparative Perspective, Report 9, Centre for Research on the Wider Benefits of Learning/University of London (020 7612 6291)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2003-Sep
An official advisory group made recommendations to the government on how to make sure all new citizens could speak English and have an understanding of United Kingdom institutions. Proposals included a short practical course and assessment in both language and citizenship, which all prospective Britons would be expected to complete. The government said the proposals would 'help promote the Government s aim of engendering common values and a sense of belonging'.
Source: Life in the United Kingdom Advisory Group, The New and the Old, Home Office (imran.khan@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk) | Press release 3 September 2003, Home Office (0870 000 1585)
Links: Report (pdf) | Home Office press release
Date: 2003-Sep
An article examined the idea of citizenship underlying the Labour government's welfare reforms. It was claimed that there were two rather different approaches to be discerned: one saw citizenship as a basic status, which in turn was the basis of entitlement; the other view was that citizenship was something that had to be developed or achieved, typically by participation in the labour market and by discharging obligations.
Source: Raymond Plant, 'Citizenship and social security', Fiscal Studies, Volume 24 Issue 2/June 2003, Institute for Fiscal Studies (020 7291 4800)
Links: Abstract
Date: 2003-Aug
The government began consultation on proposed ceremonies for those granted United Kingdom citizenship. New citizens would have to pledge loyalty to the United Kingdom.
Source: Citizenship Ceremonies, Home Office (0870 000 1585)
Links: Consultation document (pdf) | Guardian report
Date: 2003-Jul
The schools inspectorate said that many schools needed to do more to ensure effective planning and implementation of citizenship education. A significant proportion of the 25 schools inspected had not understood the full implications of citizenship as a national curriculum subject.
Source: National Curriculum Citizenship: Planning and implementation 2002/03, HMI 1606, Office for Standards in Education (07002 637833)
Links: Report (pdf) | OFSTED press release | Citizenship Foundation press release
Date: 2003-Jul
The Home Secretary outlined a reform agenda designed to 'empower communities and boost active citizenship'. He said that in practice this would mean spreading assets across society; reforming the state and public services so that they facilitated community involvement and helped individuals to help themselves; and strengthening accountability and engagement with key services.
Source: Civil Renewal: A New Agenda, Home Office (0870 000 1585)
Links: Report (pdf) | Home Office press release
Date: 2003-Jun
The Home Office published its first ever strategic framework document. It said: 'the Home Secretary s vision of a world where people take control of their lives and tackle deep-seated social issues with the help of an enabling department, forms the basis of this new relationship between citizens and the Government.'
Source: Strategic Framework, Home Office (0870 000 1585)
Links: Strategy document | Home Office press release
Date: 2003-Jun
A Conservative Paper consultation paper said that volunteers, charities and social entrepreneurs had vital roles to play in ensuring that no-one in society was left behind. It said these roles depended upon policies that helped the sector to fulfil its potential, protected it from oppressive government control, and strengthened its local capacity. It proposed that players of the national lottery should be given the opportunity to choose which charity their stake was used to support.
Source: Sixty Million Citizens: Unlocking Britain s social capital, Conservative Party (020 7984 8160)
Links: Consultation paper (pdf) | Press release | Guardian report
Date: 2003-May
A baseline report was published for an eight-year longitudinal study of citizenship education in schools in England. It said that schools were using a diversity of approaches to incorporating citizenship within the curriculum.
Source: David Kerr, Elizabeth Cleaver, Eleanor Ireland and Sarah Blenkinsop, Citizenship Education Longitudinal Study: First cross-sectional survey 2001-2002, Research Report 416, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report (pdf) | Brief (pdf)
Date: 2003-Apr
The interim report was published (for consultation) of an independent panel examining the issue of citizenship. It recommended that citizenship should be granted to those applicants who can demonstrate that their English has progressed and are able to answer questions on living in the United Kingdom.
Source: Life in the United Kingdom Advisory Group, The New and the Old: The interim report for consultation, Home Office (0870 000 1585)
Links: Report | Press release
Date: 2003-Jan