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This is the second edition of a book first published in 2003, with some updating of discussion to take account of recent policy developments. It covers an extensive literature on citizenship, and especially social citizenship, in an accessible form which is student friendly, well argued and clearly presented. It does not significantly advance debate in any of the specific areas covered, but there is considerable advantage to be gained from grouping together, as it does, the different aspects of citizenship which have emerged as foci for debate.
The book is divided into three parts. The first is largely conceptual; after outlining the idea of social citizenship and its underpinning principles it moves on to review civic republicanism, liberalism and communitarianism, before examining the development of social citizenship in Britain through a discussion of T.H. Marshall. The closing chapter considers challenges to social citizenship from both the left and the right, the emergence of a 'new communitarianism' and its influence on New Labour's 'third way'. Predicting a victory for the Conservative Party in the 2010 election, it ends by highlighting their emphasis on responsibility and independence in an 'active citizenship' that promises (or threatens) to go further than New Labour's contract and conditionality approach.
The part works well both in terms of conceptual coherence and also in tracing the key characteristics of critical historical and political moments, to show how Britain has moved from Marshall's guarantee of full membership of the community to...