Conclusion

Abstract

The central aim of this book has been to explore the ways in which citizenship is evolving in Europe and the role of education in this process. Citizenship-formation at any stage is a complex process, but the rise of European integration and its subsequent supranational citizenship project have posed particular challenges — not only for the process of citizenship-formation itself, but also for how we theorise and conceptualise this phenomenon in the contemporary context. Historically, citizenship was seen as being inextricably linked to nation-building, and it was assumed (by academics and political actors alike) that it denoted an exclusive relationship between individuals and the political institutions and communities of nation-states. The emergence of a supranational citizenship project in Europe has thus required us to examine not only how (and why) European institutions have sought to forge its own citizenry, but also to think about how we characterise the relationship between citizens and civic institutions in both the European and the national arenas. The idea for this book emerged from these debates, which had not fully considered the implications of these developments for education, despite the prominent role that schools and education systems have traditionally played in citizenship-formation.