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Citizenship: Citizenship Act
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Citizenship is about making informed choices and decisions, and about taking action, individually and as part of collective processes. Being a citizen is, therefore, closely bound up with the multiple roles that individuals have in society - as producers or consumers of goods and services, as contributors to economic and cultural development - as well as with various facets of each individual's personal, social and working life. For example, the opportunity to exercise personal choice as a consumer of particular products or services is an increasingly influential strand of citizenship in contemporary society.
The first form of citizenship was based on the way people lived in the ancient Greek times, in small-scale organic communities of the polis. In those days citizenship was not seen as a public matter, separated from the private life of the individual person. The obligations of citizenship were deeply connected into one’s everyday life in the polis. To be truly human, one had to be an active citizen to the community, which Aristotle famously expressed: “To take no part in the running of the community's affairs is to be either a beast or a god!” This form of citizenship was based on obligations of citizens towards the community, rather than rights given to the citizens of the community. This was not a problem because they all had a strong affinity with the polis; their own destiny and the destiny of the community were strongly linked. Also, citizens of the polis saw obligations to the community as an opportunity to be virtuous, it was a source of honour and respect.
By the end of the eighteenth century, then, two visions of republican citizenship had emerged. One, often labeled "liberal," was derived from a natural law tradition and emphasized the rights of individuals, representation, and material progress. It was concerned with checking arbitrary power and securing the conditions that would allow men and women to enjoy the fruits of their labor in peace. A second, more activist and communal strand inspired by classical republicanism appealed to civic virtues of self-sacrifice, public-spiritedness, and the constant vigilance of citizens against enemies of freedom.
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The opportunities for learning that are provided in schools and early education settings make important contributions to the process of educating for active and responsible citizenship. At the same time, the contributions of formal education need to be seen alongside, and in interaction with, other influences. These include the influence of parents, carers and the media and opportunities for community-based learning. Also, school and early education establishments need to take account of the diversity of the local communities in which young people live.
From a newspaper, magazine, TV show, or movie, identify an act of poor citizenship displayedby an adult who should know better. Write a letter of criticism to this person with the intention of trying to convince him or her to shape up. Provide specific ways in which this person can improve his/her behavior.
Dual or multiple citizenship applies when two or more countries recognize a person as their citizen. Canadian Citizens have been allowed to obtain or maintain foreign citizenship while keeping their Canadian Citizenship since February 15, 1977. Under the present Citizenship Act, a Canadian citizen will retain their citizenship even if they are granted citizenship in another country. The individual will only loose their Canadian citizenship if an application to voluntary renounce it is submitted and the request approved by a Citizenship judge.
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