RESEARCH STARTER

Cultural citizenship

Cultural citizenship is an evolving concept that expands the traditional understanding of citizenship, which historically focused on legal rights within a national framework. Originating from the idea of citizenship in ancient Greece, where it primarily applied to property owners, contemporary views now encompass a broader spectrum of identity and belonging. Cultural citizenship emphasizes the rights and recognition of individuals who identify with multiple cultures rather than being tied to a single nation. This perspective is especially relevant in today's globalized, diasporic world, where people often move across borders and absorb diverse cultural norms and practices.

According to cultural anthropologist Renato Rosaldo, cultural citizenship acknowledges the importance of heritage and cultural identity, particularly for groups who may face social or economic disadvantages. It highlights the need for inclusivity in discussions about civil rights, ensuring that the voices and experiences of those with multi-faceted cultural identities are considered. While legal citizenship typically involves formal membership in a nation, cultural citizenship represents a more personal and intimate connection to various cultures, allowing individuals to claim belonging and rights in multiple contexts. This framework encourages respect for diverse perspectives and fosters a deeper understanding of what it means to belong in a multicultural society.

Authored By: Danico, Mary Yu 1 of 4
Published In: 2022 2 of 4
Related Topics:
Anthropologist;Civil rights;Collective Bargaining;Social Security
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Full Article

The concept of citizenship first arose in towns and city-states of ancient Greece, where it generally applied to property owners but not to women, enslaved people, or the poorer members of the community. The notion of citizenship has changed throughout the ages, most recently to one of national citizenship.

Thomas H. Marshall described three central rights granted by citizenship: civil rights, which entitle individuals to freedom of speech and to accessing local information, to assemble and organize without restrictions, and to be treated equally in law; political rights, which include the right to vote and run for office in free elections; and social rights, which include the rights to welfare and social security and to unionize and participate in collective bargaining.

In an increasingly diasporic world, the notion of citizenship has been expanded to include those who claim to be a citizen of a culture rather than a nation. Those groups who feel that they are denied one or more of the three types of rights described by Marshall may opt for cultural citizenship. These groups may regard themselves as part of various cultures and feel that they have citizenship in each country they have experienced. For example, a Vietnamese laborer who worked in Vietnam, then migrated to Australia, and then to Canada may claim a three-way cultural citizenship. This person may identify with each of the three cultures’ norms, values, beliefs, and traditions. While twenty-first-century concepts of citizenship involve legal claims to a nation or country of origin, the concept of a cultural citizen is a personal endeavor that an individual can develop over time within the confines of the cultural group. It can also be an individual's personal connection or intimate relation to a culture or people.

According to cultural anthropologist Renato Rosaldo, cultural citizenship argues that even in a situation of inequality, groups that find themselves facing disadvantages should hold on to their heritage. In many countries, a paradox exists insofar as a citizen of that country is supposed to be of that place, yet cultural citizens defy that notion and still deserve the same rights as other citizens. Therefore, the needs of these groups should be taken into consideration when debating civil rights.

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