An article examined the 'confused' contemporary understanding of what was meant by 'British' citizenship. The Human Rights Act, devolution, and the government's proposed 'constitutional renewal' were important steps in setting out the ideas and principles that defined nationality. Together with a coherent definition of the rights and obligations of British citizenship, constitutional reform would achieve a stronger sense of what it meant to be British.
Source: Anthony Lester, 'Citizenship and the constitution', Political Quarterly, Volume 79 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2008-Nov
A report examined how people had influenced policy decisions through civil society associations, based on four case studies.
Source: Power Moves: Exploring Power and Influence in the UK, Carnegie UK Trust (01383 721445)
Links: Report
Date: 2008-Aug
An article reported the findings of an extensive study of English local councils' efforts to engage, educate, and empower local citizens. Although local authorities had made significant progress in widening the structures for communicating with and engaging citizens, there remained considerable scope for improving activities that addressed the learning implications of effective citizenship.
Source: Rhys Andrews, Richard Cowell, James Downe, Steve Martin and David Turner, 'Supporting effective citizenship in local government: engaging, educating and empowering local citizens', Local Government Studies, Volume 34 Number 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2008-Aug
The Draft (Partial) Immigration and Citizenship Bill was published. The Bill was designed to overhaul all immigration laws dating back to 1971, and to confirm new laws reserving full access to benefits and social housing for citizens and permanent residents. Foreign nationals wishing to became British citizens would have to earn the right to stay, by learning to speak English and obeying the law.
Source: Draft (Partial) Immigration and Citizenship Bill, Cm 7373, Home Office, TSO (0870 600 5522) | Making Change Stick: An introduction to the Immigration and Citizenship Bill, Home Office (0870 000 1585)
Links: Draft Bill | Report | Hansard | Home Office press release | Liberal Democrats press release
Date: 2008-Jul
A new book examined the revival of support for meritocracy under New Labour, with particular reference to its implications for education. It considered the ways New Labour had interpreted the idea of active citizenship. It also provided an analysis of policy responses to the problems of multiculturalism, and their relation to immigration policy and ideas of a common civic culture.
Source: John Beck, Meritocracy, Citizenship and Education: New Labour's legacy, Continuum International Publishing (020 7922 0880)
Links: Summary
Date: 2008-May
A new book (in four volumes) examined citizenship and citizenship education. Volume 1 focused on historical and philosophical material. Volume 2 examined the purposes of citizenship education. Volume 3 described and discussed particular forms of education that related strongly and directly to citizenship education. Volume 4 focused on socialization, curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment.
Source: James Arthur and Ian Davies, Citizenship Education, SAGE Publications Ltd (020 7324 8500)
Links: Summary
Date: 2008-May
The government announced (in the draft Queen's Speech) plans to introduce a Citizenship, Immigration and Borders Bill, designed to replace all existing immigration legislation with a simplified, clear, and coherent legal framework to control the country's borders, manage migration, and reform the path to citizenship.
Source: Preparing Britain for the Future: The government's draft legislative programme, Cm 7372, Office of the Leader of the House of Commons, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Draft Queens Speech | Amendments | Home Office press release | Runnymede Trust press release
Date: 2008-May
A paper examined the relationships between gender equality and civil society.
Source: Sonia Reverter-Banon, Civil Society and Gender Equality: A theoretical approach, Voluntary Sector Working Paper 24, Centre for Civil Society/London School of Economics (020 7955 7205)
Links: Paper
Date: 2008-Apr
An article examined the idea that increasing civic engagement led to better public services. Local councils which aimed to promote understanding of citizenship among the public were found to be more likely to have higher service performance: but those which aimed to increase citizen engagement in local governance were associated with lower performance in deprived areas.
Source: Rhys Andrews, Richard Cowell and James Downe, 'Support for active citizenship and public service performance: an empirical analysis of English local authorities', Policy & Politics, Volume 36 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2008-Apr
A study examined citizen governance from the perspective of women from black and minority ethnic communities in Birmingham and Wolverhampton. Over three-quarters of the women had experienced gender, race, and/or faith discrimination.
Source: Santosh Rai, Routes and Barriers to Citizen Governance, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 430033)
Links: Report | JRF Findings
Date: 2008-Mar
The report of an official review made recommendations designed to strengthen British citizenship. They included: establishing a new national public holiday; council tax discounts for volunteer work; changes to existing categories of citizenship; language loans for new immigrants to learn English; a type of community service to enhance 'citizen education'; and special citizenship ceremonies for school-leavers.
Source: Peter Goldsmith, Citizenship: Our Common Bond, Citizenship Review, c/o Ministry of Justice (020 7210 8500)
Links: Report | Review press release | IPPR press release | LGA press release | Unlock Democracy press release | Refugee Council press release | Ekklesia press release | Liberal Democrats press release | Telegraph report | Guardian report (1) | Guardian report (2) | BBC report
Date: 2008-Mar
A think-tank report examined how a government committed to progressive notions of citizenship might respond to the fact that fewer people were willing to take up British citizenship or were able to establish long-term roots within communities.
Source: Jill Rutter, Maria Latorre and Dhananjayan Sriskandarajah, Beyond Naturalisation: Citizenship policy in an age of super mobility, Institute for Public Policy Research (020 7470 6100)
Links: Report
Date: 2008-Mar
A think-tank report examined the way in which the Prime Minister (Gordon Brown) used patriotic rhetoric, his understanding of national identity, and his vision for citizenship. The Prime Minister's engagement with the issues of patriotism was 'anything but opportunistic'. There were two major strands in his thinking – the 'national' and the 'neighbourly' – and it was the latter that would ultimately help to build civil society.
Source: Stephen Backhouse, Red, White, Blue.. and Brown: Citizens, patriots and the Prime Minister, Theos (020 7828 7777)
Links: Report
Date: 2008-Feb
The government published a Green Paper on the process by which foreign nationals obtained British citizenship. It said that people who wanted to make the United Kingdom their home should 'speak English, pay their way, obey the law, and give something back to their community'. There would be a three-stage route to citizenship, including a new probationary period of citizenship, requiring new migrants to demonstrate their contribution to the UK at every stage – or leave the country. Full access to welfare benefits would be delayed until migrants had completed the probationary period.
Source: The Path to Citizenship: Next steps in reforming the immigration system, Home Office (0870 000 1585)
Links:Green Paper | PM speech | Hansard | Home Office press release | LGA press release | Ekklesia press release | Liberal Democrats press release | BBC report | Telegraph report | FT report | Guardian report
Date: 2008-Feb
A report said that patriotism should be taught in schools as a 'controversial issue'. Pupils should not be encouraged to love Britain, because it had a 'morally ambiguous' history.
Source: Michael Hand and Jo Pearce, Should Patriotism be Promoted, Tolerated or Discouraged in British Schools?, Institute of Education/University of London (020 7612 6050)
Links: IOE press release | BBC report | Telegraph report
Date: 2008-Jan