Citizenship in the Community

1

• Citizenship in the Community

2

• Ted Cantle, CBE
• Associate Director, IDeA
• Professor, Institute of Community Cohesion
  (iCoCo)

3

• The Green Paper is Positive
• In that ..
• It emphasises the importance of citizenship
• And that in an era of super diversity we need
  to work harder to create an inclusive sense of
  belonging
• This needs clear leadership and a real commitment
  to diversity
• And many local level initiatives are already
  underway

4
(No Transcript)
5
(No Transcript)
6
(No Transcript)
7
(No Transcript)
8

• Is local belonging easier to establish than
  Britishness?
• Less contested concepts?
• More about place?
• And about doing rather than feeling?
• where you are, not where you are from
• And it is necessary in an era of super diversity
  London 300 languages other cities 140 towns
  65

9

• Community Cohesion is
• Promoting a common sense of belonging
• Positively valuing diversity
• Tackling disadvantage and inequalities
• Promoting meaningful interaction in the
  workplace, schools and neighbourhoods

10

• Some problems with the Green Paper
• The earning of citizenship and the test appears
  to be harder for migrants than for existing
  citizens
• A probationary period may mean people are less
  willing to invest and commit if the outcome is
  uncertain
• And there is the problem of policing and paying
  for the process

11

• Some problems with the Green Paper
• The four measures are sensible in themselves
• But ESOL funding is limited
• The joining in work will have to be facilitated
  (eg just the CRB checks!)
• And there is precious little money for
  citizenship work (and Interaction or ICD)
  programmes now (cf schools)
• And if it is a two way street, it has to
  involve the wider community

12

• Some problems with the Green Paper
• And does not address how we handle new notions of
  super diversity and diaspora identities the new
  dynamics of population change and popn churn
• Also linked to identity and difference in other
  areas, such as sexual orientation, disability,
  age,

13

• Some problems with the Green Paper
• Citizenship has many facets
• Contractual to emotional attachment
• Emotional element is more contested and hugely
  dynamic
• Contractual element is less contested but very
  under developed
• Social capital is important too

14

• conclusion
• Need to re think some of the issues
• Make citizenship a commitment for all (essential
  in an era of super diversity)
• Focus on bottom up interaction to bring people
  together on contractual basis
• Rather than top down notions of Britishness on
  emotional basis

15

• What does this mean to schools ?
• Curriculum implications explore what it means
  to live together in the UK and celebrate
  difference
• Black London comprehensive pupil They see
  Africa as poor, Asia as flooded and England as
  snobby whites and poor blacks.
• Another black pupil Im black, I live in
  London-thats my home. My parents are from the
  Caribbean but Im really African. Im a
  Christian, but Im E7- thats where I hang,
  theyre my people. Thats who I am.
• A white pupil Im not from a Caribbean country
  or an exotic country or even France or Spain. Im
  from nowhere like that, Im just plain British.
  (from Sir Keith Ajegbos Review)

16

• Community Cohesion A New Framework for Race and
  Diversity. Published by Palgrave Macmillan. Ted
  Cantle