Suchergebnisse

Two social changes have affected both politics & the "new" media -- the emergence of citizenship as an agenda, & the development of communications technology that has altered the relationship between citizens & the power elite. The new mass communication has also affected the manner in which the public views citizenship, the way citizenship is taught, & democracy itself. Studies have proven that the civic value of the new media is inconclusive. It is also obvious that usage of the Internet format for political discussion has not yet improved citizen participation or representation. Finally, it must be noted that in order for political participation to be democratic it must be equal. Until all members of society have equal access to technology, this technology will not facilitate democracy. 39 References. K. A. Larsen

An introductory chapter maintains that the citizenship debate, which emerged in Western countries in the early 1990s, was generated by concerns over the status of the large numbers of immigrants, problems with the welfare state, & worries about increasing criminality & marginality. The discourse, which focused on citizenship as a frame to either redefine the welfare model or promote greater dependence on free markets, led to an alliance between neoliberals & conservatives. The theoretical grounding for new citizenship experiments is reviewed, noting that T. H. Marshall's (1950) concept of social citizenship jumped to the center of later debates. The studies in this volume explore the tension between citizenship as an ideal & citizenship as a set of institutions identified by Marshall. They address the development of institutions of political/social citizenship, & assess recent experiments in marketization & deliberation that have transformed the ideal of citizenship & altered its institutions. The two kinds of experiments analyzed are those dealing with the extension of the market & those that attempt to transcend formal political patterns with more participatory & social methods. A synopsis of each chapter is included. 41 References. J. Lindroth

An introductory chapter maintains that the citizenship debate, which emerged in Western countries in the early 1990s, was generated by concerns over the status of the large numbers of immigrants, problems with the welfare state, & worries about increasing criminality & marginality. The discourse, which focused on citizenship as a frame to either redefine the welfare model or promote greater dependence on free markets, led to an alliance between neoliberals & conservatives. The theoretical grounding for new citizenship experiments is reviewed, noting that T. H. Marshall's (1950) concept of social citizenship jumped to the center of later debates. The studies in this volume explore the tension between citizenship as an ideal & citizenship as a set of institutions identified by Marshall. They address the development of institutions of political/social citizenship, & assess recent experiments in marketization & deliberation that have transformed the ideal of citizenship & altered its institutions. The two kinds of experiments analyzed are those dealing with the extension of the market & those that attempt to transcend formal political patterns with more participatory & social methods. A synopsis of each chapter is included. 41 References. J. Lindroth

A concluding chapter notes that the contributors all stress the centrality of the links between states, political communities, & sovereignty. Although nation-states were the main sites for freedoms, material security, & democratic decision making in the modern period, it is increasingly evident that they are no longer capable of providing the benefits they once did. Efforts are being made to discover new ways to organize membership in society & assess the benefits/duties associated with that membership. The search inevitably involves re-evaluating the values/ideals traditionally attached to citizenship, including basic freedoms, democratic participation, & commitments to equality. The authors address how current experiments in citizenship have realized or transformed the fundamental values of citizenship. They suggest that a return to national welfare states is not a viable option in light of current structural conditions & tendencies toward globalization, liberalization, & complexity. The absence of alternative social models with the political/economic power of markets/enterprises is noted, & suggestions are made for integrating mechanisms that have the potential of resolving some ambiguities in the current approach to citizenship. 6 References. J. Lindroth

A concluding chapter notes that the contributors all stress the centrality of the links between states, political communities, & sovereignty. Although nation-states were the main sites for freedoms, material security, & democratic decision making in the modern period, it is increasingly evident that they are no longer capable of providing the benefits they once did. Efforts are being made to discover new ways to organize membership in society & assess the benefits/duties associated with that membership. The search inevitably involves re-evaluating the values/ideals traditionally attached to citizenship, including basic freedoms, democratic participation, & commitments to equality. The authors address how current experiments in citizenship have realized or transformed the fundamental values of citizenship. They suggest that a return to national welfare states is not a viable option in light of current structural conditions & tendencies toward globalization, liberalization, & complexity. The absence of alternative social models with the political/economic power of markets/enterprises is noted, & suggestions are made for integrating mechanisms that have the potential of resolving some ambiguities in the current approach to citizenship. 6 References. J. Lindroth

The author asks if the establishment of democratically autonomous local community-based authorities (LCAs) in the UK would create intolerable geographic differences in public service provision. Main topics include the decline of local democracy in the UK & the trend toward a new local-central relationship with integrated government service (IGS). The article concludes that LCAs provide vital services & that there exist many unique local problems that must be solved at the community level. J. R. Callahan