‘Why Should We Care?’: Young People, Citizenship and Questions of Social Responsibility

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Abstract
Young people's citizenship and the relationship between rights and responsibilities are studied. Previous discussions of young people's citizenship have concentrated on methods of encouraging young people to be ‘responsible citizens’. Little attention has been given to the interrelationship between rights and responsibilities. The debates which have taken place have tended to focus upon the ways in which rights should be linked to participation in certain civic and economic duties. Drawing on findings from British research which examined young people's perceptions and experiences of citizenship, it is shown how such a position fails to recognize the importance of rights for young people's willingness to be active and fully participating citizens. In the conclusion the importance of these findings for debates on the ‘underclass’ and ‘workfare’ are discussed, suggesting that certain rights are essential if the social participation and active citizenship of the young arc to be increased.

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