Citizenship and Inequality

As the literature on citizenship proliferates, its meanings and manifestation have evolved considerably, though not without generating confusion. Understandings of citizenship have ranged from a focus on legal status and rights to political participation and belonging. Much of the scholarship on citizenship tends to view it as a normative good, with the potential to challenge inequality. Against this assumption, a growing body of work unveils the colonialist and fundamentally exclusionary character of citizenship, urging scholars to consider more open forms of membership in the political community. Meanwhile, states have continued to exercise their prerogative to provide or deprive citizenship to their populations, sometimes extending this privilege to non-humans. This chapter synthesises the myriad perspectives on citizenship by staging a conversation between the theoretical literature and select case studies. It is organised as follows. In the first section, the chapter reflects on debates around citizenship and inequality. The second section offers a selection of political debates over citizenship from around the world. The concluding section outlines the exciting new research that promises to shape the study of citizenship and inequality.