Active Citizen(s), ‘Good’ Citizen(s)

Abstract

This panel is particularly interested in depicting what active citizens look like. It touches upon how the norms that feed into active citizenship emerge – from educational settings to identity triggers of socio-cultural exchanges, institutionally (re)defined social, political and cultural norms, and citizens reaction to political corruption. Through its focus on active citizens, their identity and varying forms of political participation as well as exchanges with and reactions to one another, non-citizens and political institutions, the panel is able to bridge the usual normative and empirical divide that emerges when in-depth consideration is given to what active citizens (ought to) look like. Bringing together a range of empirical studies that are country specific (including examples from France, Indonesia, Korea, and Turkey) or international in scope, the papers in this panel pose an important question for active citizenship; whether or not the active citizens are the good citizens. Overall, this panel interrogates ideals that likens active citizenship with good citizenship, and the international scale, inevitability and relevance of these ideals today.