Gender and Citizenship

In the authoritative body of mainstream work citizenship has typically been conceptualized in a universal, often abstract manner, easily leading to its construction as a very general, supposedly ‘objective’ notion. Such tendencies to decontextualization tend to locate the concept of citizenship within the nation-state and, simultaneously, give a lack of attention to diversified contexts in which citizenship, and gendered citizenship in particular, are practiced, articulated and experienced. Citizenship is usually conceived of as based in rights, responsibilities and/or obligations, and is inclusive of, and sometimes conflating, political and economic entitlements, access, and belonging. This not only involves, in different combinations and degrees, formal political representation, but also social and cultural rights, access to state machinery and public services, and perhaps most obviously national militaries and militarisms.