Reconsidering Theorizing on Citizenship and Social Movements in the Light of Disability

Abstract

As previously discussed within Chapter 2, despite centuries of theorizing, citizenship remains a contested concept. Whilst a widely agreed definition of what exactly ‘citizenship’ entails remains largely elusive, certain themes are recurrent within contemporary theorizing. As shown in the discussion in Chapter 2, issues of ‘identity’ and ‘difference’ are now at the heart of most contemporary citizenship theorizing. That these two issues have become of major importance must largely be the result of successful campaigning by a variety of pressure groups. Consequently, such things as class, ethnicity, employment status and sexuality are now routinely considered by citizenship theorists and have greatly affected thinking in this field. Disability, however, has been largely ignored and yet the findings of the research referenced in this book suggest that this omission may be unwise, for what a consideration of disability tells us does not always sit comfortably with recent citizenship theorizing. Indeed, it is the argument here that a consideration of disability related issues is invaluable for it provides useful insights into the shortcomings of many key theories of citizenship and demonstrates the need for ongoing theorizing in this field.