Citizenship education helping Jamaicans to be aware of their democratic right

Can citizenship education help individuals to understand their democratic right?

The concept of citizenship is at the core of education for democracy. This article discusses (1) what citizenship is; (2) why citizenship is an essential element of democracy; and (3) how to teach about citizenship in a democracy.

THE MEANING OF CITIZENSHIP

In a democracy, the source of all authority -- the legitimate basis of all power -- is the collective body of the people, the citizens of the polity. There is popular sovereignty of the citizens and thereby government by consent of the governed. A citizen is a full and equal member of a polity, such as a democratic nation-state (Mouffe 1995).

In some states or countries, citizenship, the condition of being a citizen, is based on the place of a person's birth, which is known as "jus soli" citizenship. In other places, the status of citizen is based on the citizenship of one's parents, which is known as "jus sanguinis" citizenship. Some countries use both bases for ascribing citizenship. Further, most democratic states have established legal procedures by which people without a birth-right to citizenship can become naturalized citizens.

Equality before the law is one fundamental right of the citizen; other examples are such political rights as voting and participating in public interest groups.Constitutions may make a distinction between the rights of citizens and of inhabitants of the political community who are not citizens. For example, in the Jamaica, only citizens have the right to vote, serve on juries, and be elected to certain offices of the government, such as Parliament. 

All other rights in the Jamaican Constitution are guaranteed to everyone residing in the country, citizens and noncitizens alike.  The people of a democratic country or nation-state may have various and overlapping identities based on such factors of society as religion, race, ethnicity, social class, and gender. However, the single identity possessed equally by all citizens of the polity, regardless of differences, is civic identity. Held in common by all citizens, civic identity is based on freely given commitment to certain civic principles and values of the democracy.

Contributor:

Yanique Rose

4th Year History and Social Studies Student

Bethlehem Moravian College