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- Author: Hans Schattle x
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Social democratic citizenship can be regarded as the fulfilment of civil and political rights, and social and economic rights and it is obvious that these rights have eroded severely in recent decades across the 'developed' world. This chapter takes stock of the decline in social democratic citizenship. It explains how economic restructuring and public policy shifts accompanying globalisation in recent decades have harmed the middle-class and working-class populations essential in sustaining democratic self-government and have prompted many citizens on both sides of the Atlantic. The chapter focuses on some of the new voices and emerging venues for political participation amid today's global transformations in politics, economics and culture that suggest the potential for a long overdue revitalisation of social democratic citizenship. It also explains how empowerment, engagement and equity serve as three lodestars in the larger endeavour, still ongoing and perhaps set to continue indefinitely, of remaking social democratic citizenries.
Social democracy's often diffuse societal, intellectual and cultural influences have exceeded and outlasted Labour's direct electoral success. This book focuses questions relating to the popular values, mindsets and sense of citizenship needed to further social democracy on that deeper enterprise of this book. It reflects on the 'big picture' of social democracy and progressivism, both historical and contemporary. Part I takes the historical bird's eye view, exploring social democratic and liberal dilemmas that both pervaded the twentieth century and remain very much alive today. It suggests that scholars and political analysts tend to under-play the extent to which progressivism and the voters have managed to operate in constructive harmony. Tracing new and social liberalism's, distinctive offer of a fusion between social interdependence and individualism, the volume assesses the failure of this British liberalism to become the over-arching driver of politics. The Scottish secession from the United Kingdom in the aftermath of the Brexit referendum is also discussed. Part II takes stock of the critical scrutiny, discussing 'Western' democracies alongside the dominance and the extensive body of thought from David Marquand on citizenship, and especially Marquand's civic republican vision. Part III seeks to apply Marquand's search for the 'principled society', discusses social and psychological concept of 'neighbourliness', and examines the public good less as a fixed entity. Finally, the significance of Christopher Addison and his notions on the democratic socialism and liberal progressive traditions, and pluralism are discussed.
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book examines the many-sided relationship between social democracy and 'the people' in Britain. It discusses the extensive body of thought from David Marquand on citizenship, and especially Marquand's civic republican vision for a far more energised and engaged public in Britain. The book explores the historical and political implications of the social and psychological concept of 'neighbourliness', especially as it played out in that pivotal moment of apparent social democratic ascendancy, the 1940s, and the 'People's War'. It argues that empowerment, equity and engagement are three lodestars for the re-making of social democratic citizenship and illustrates how new voices and venues are emerging in pursuit of more auspiciously deployed governing institutions and public policies. The issue of the people, the citizenry, the voters has long been a perplexing one for social democrats.
David Marquand's thinking on pluralism cuts across three interconnected realms, namely: politics and government, social and cultural contexts, and the economic arena. This chapter argues that Marquandism withstands critical scrutiny given its overriding emphasis on pluralism and republicanism as two crucial, consolidating elements that must be incorporated into any kind of democratic political system worth having. It discusses the main elements of pluralism and republicanism as Marquand sees them and examines how pluralism and republicanism both inform Marquand's perspective on the 'social' in social democracy and, finally, on the essence of democracy itself. In contrast with Marquand's priority placed upon pluralism, which points to complex changes in the governance of the United Kingdom, Marquand's emphasis on democratic republicanism is mainly about the people. The premium Marquand places, then, on a pluralist, republican social democracy serves as the unifying thread in his political thinking.