Propositions on Citizenship

Abstract

Citizenship functions as a historically fluid equilibrium of social forces rather than a fixed legal status, marking the tension between state sovereignty and individual political capacity. Historically, its evolution has been defined by the deconstruction of the public-private divide, particularly regarding gender roles and the integration of labor rights into the constitutional sphere. The modern conflation of citizenship with nationality represents a specific strategy to manage class conflict, where national identity often supplants social equality and excludes “non-national” residents from political participation. In the context of contemporary globalization, this national model faces a crisis: while ruling elites operate within a multicultural, transnational framework, marginalized populations remain subject to restrictive national and racial barriers. Resolving these contradictions necessitates a decoupling of citizenship from nationality and the adoption of a multinational, multicultural definition of the state. This transition requires extending political rights to immigrant communities and institutionalizing “citizenship in enterprise” to overcome the stagnation of national corporatism and ensure the continued relevance of democratic equality. – AI-generated abstract.