Between extension and contestation: ‘New’ modes of citizenship and ‘new’ frameworks for citizenship education

Is citizenship en vogue? Should or could citizenship education salvage us from what seems as a global duress? In the recent decade or so, across the globe we were witness to a series of crises – from austerity and climate emergency to the impasse of global mobility flows and the pandemic – but also for new forms of political participation – from occupy movements to populism. Between the shifting of policy decisions to non-majoritarian institutions and the increasing power of global corporations, democratic accountability has been impaired. Both established and new neo-liberal democratic governments at times fail to meet citizen demands and needs. Against this backdrop, James Tully contended, global citizenship has taken one of two modes: civil modern citizenship which is identified with the restoration of the pre-crisis neo-liberal order, and civic diverse citizenship, identified with a multiplicity of different forms of participation and with a demand for a more inclusive order. Thus, the contours and meaning of citizenship have changed and now refer equally to the appreciation of highly inclusive democratic concepts and the search for social change to exclusionary and nationally chauvinistic forms. Demands for citizenship participation draw from identity resources that call for the legitimization of ethnic nationalism and economic chauvinism but also for an overhaul of the democratic quality of public processes and decision-making. All of these contribute to the making of new material and immaterial boundaries. In recent years, acts of citizenship – claims for citizenship status from below – have taken different shapes and forms, from radical to populist and from individual to collective. On the one hand, individuals have re-politicised, taking advantage among other things of digital forms of participation and voice. Social media and technological advancements do not only represent a profoundly different context for political participation but have also led to further polarization. By blurring the boundaries between entertainment and politics and allowing the spread of “dark participation” and fake news, they have contributed to the weakening and destabilisation of democratic institutions. On the other hand, citizens and non-citizens alike have exhibited a greater interest in and enthusiasm for collective activism. These are apparent in various segments in the world, from Poland, where masses took to the streets to protest the new anti-abortion laws, to the USA and the growing resonance of Black Lives Matter internationally, and across the globe in the face of a series of protests targeting colonial, nation-centric, migration and climate policies – among others. In the face of these tremendous movements and shifts, the question of social and human solidarity – which are at the heart of ‘new’ modes of citizenship as we understand in this section – is ever more pertinent. These new developments form a challenge for citizenship education and educationalists: the world of formal education and of the (digital) civic spaces of young people are in danger of being separated. Future citizens are socialized in semi-public places that are often not visible to those who are responsible for the education of a new generation, such as parents and teachers. Therefore, educators often struggle to build bridges between relevant knowledges and knowers in new ways. Young people are claiming new civics that are more than before satisfying the need for political activism and efficacy to figure out their sustainable futures and building capacities to shape decision making and established political institutions in transnational, global, and post-colonial perspectives. Educators are required to recalibrate not only how they teach, but all the more importantly, what they teach. SG Citizenship is seeking to bring together panels addressing ‘new’ modes of citizenship and related developments in civic education for the 2022 ECPR General Conference. We are especially interested in addressing themes in, and encouraging contributions that bring together a range of theoretical and empirical perspectives on (and beyond): • Comparative analyses of different modes of citizenship – to unearth the novelty of current challenges • Differential frameworks and realizations of citizenship, participation, identity, and senses of belonging • Practicing citizenship in pandemic times • Citizenships and sustainability • Performative citizenship at school and outside school • Theoretical challenges for citizenship and citizenship education • Comparative analyses of different frameworks of citizenship education - to unearth the novelty of current challenges • Citizenship education in on- and off-line spaces and the challenges of privatization and platformiziation • Teaching citizenship in pandemic times • Climate and social justice from the prism of citizenship education