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How identity is shaped by religion
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Meanings attached to citizenship
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The aim of this essay is to outline and critically evaluate William Brubaker’s article on ‘immigration, citizenship and the nation state’, and his views on the ideal-typical case studies of citizenship and nationhood in France and Germany. Using these two case studies as examples of state and sub state nationalism and their role in contemporary global politics. Brubaker’s work will be critiqued and analysed using relevant journal articles and other text. Firstly critiquing Brubaker’s theory on the ideal model of membership on becoming citizens, then discussing his views on immigration and anomalies of membership today and the problems with citizenship.
William Rogers Brubaker focuses primarily on France and Germany, he explains that in
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Brubaker further discusses what a nation-state should be following the model of membership. According to Brubaker the ideal-typical model of membership has six main points; firstly it should be egalitarian which means that everyone is equal and deserve equal opportunity. This may be an important factor in order to make a nation work, Daniel Beland (2003) explains that the French revolution was caused because absolutism did not work, this is when Louis XIV ruled over France and had political power through the church but was overthrown by citizens in the name of equality. The second factor of the ideal-model according to Brubaker is considering the membership to be sacred, nation-states emerged as religion declined, and secular authority was greatly accepted, therefore it is arguable that membership to a particular nation holds people together today than religion (Haralambos and Holborn 2013). Brubaker’s third point to the ideal model is that state-membership should be based on nation-membership, similarly to the French model; this means that the political community should be a cultural community as they are the representatives, acquired through birth and
In Marcelo M. Suarez- Orozco and Carola Suarez- Orozco’s article “How Immigrants became “other” Marcelo and Carola reference the hardships and struggles of undocumented immigrants while at the same time argue that no human being should be discriminated as an immigrant. There are millions of undocumented people that risk their lives by coming to the United States all to try and make a better life for themselves. These immigrants are categorized and thought upon as terrorist, rapists, and overall a threat to Americans. When in reality they are just as hard working as American citizens. This article presents different cases in which immigrants have struggled to try and improve their life in America. It overall reflects on the things that immigrants go through. Immigrants come to the United States with a purpose and that is to escape poverty. It’s not simply crossing the border and suddenly having a great life. These people lose their families and go years without seeing them all to try and provide for them. They risk getting caught and not surviving trying to make it to the other side. Those that make it often don’t know where to go as they are unfamiliar. They all struggle and every story is different, but to them it’s worth the risk. To work the miserable jobs that Americans won’t. “I did not come to steal from anyone. I put my all in the jobs I take. And I don’t see any of the Americans wanting to do this work” (668). These
Foreign policy and Immigration since 1945”. Threatened Peoples, Threatened Borders: World Migration Policy. Eds. Michael Teitelbaum and Myron Weiner. New York: Columbia University, 1995. p.123-124.
There are millions of people who attempt to cross the border every day. These people cross the border from different countries to the United States to live a better life, to provide for their loved ones, and to live the American Dream. The American Dream is to be able to spend time with family while paying the house bills and the car bill all while having a job. People migrating to the United States could be an advantage and a disadvantage in the United States. In “The Crossing” by Ruben Martinez the social issue is immigration. Immigration is a problem in this story because we see a lot of immigrants trying to migrate to the United States. Ruben Martinez mentions in the short story “The Crossing” This desert is armed with Mexican and American
Joppke C., 1999, ‘Immigration and Nation-State: the United States, Germany, and the Great Britain’, Oxford University Press
In recent discussions, the topic of immigration and the fundamental question of what is to be done with immigration? has been circulating in many american homes today, especially the closer we get to election day. As David Cole puts it in his essay Five Myths about Immigration “But just as in the 1850’s, passion, misinformation, and shortsighted fear often substitute for reason, fairness, and human dignity in today’s immigration debates”(185). Despite misconceptions of immigrants, Cole believes that immigrants positively affect society in several ways. In addition, Cole challenges and questions the beliefs of others in his essay. Whereas, Victor Davis Hanson’s essay Our Brave New World of Immigration focuses
William Kaplan (editor), Belonging : The meaning and Future of Canadian Citizenship, McGill-Queen's Press-MQUP, 1993, 387 pages.
The "American dream" is different for every person. To some it means financial success, to others it means freedom of expression, while others dream to practice their religion without fear. The "American dream" is a complex concept providing immigrants with the hope of better life. The U.S. government provides the environment and resources for everyone to pursue their dreams. Each year millions of people around the world apply for the Diversity Visa lottery program provided by the U.S. government, however only a few thousand people are lucky enough to come here. America is the place where people are judged by their achievements instead of having references or connections. Even though the American economy is in recession and the achieving of the American Dream is harder, many immigrants still achieve religious, political, financial, and sports dreams here in the U.S.
Since the start of the twentieth century America has attracted people all over the world to relocate and start a new life. For many coming to America was a chance for a better life and new things. They all had something in common, they all had a dream, that dream was the "American Dream". In the present day the desire to achieve the dream hasn't changed. However, the idea of the American Dream, brings up a lot of questions. What is the American Dream? Who defines it? Can it be achieved? Lastly, should everyone have a chance to achieve it?
Ronald Regan describes America as, “…a place in the divine scheme that was set aside as a promised land” (“Loosing the American Dream”). Do Regan’s words have any truth to them? How can America be a promised land when immigrants are still fighting for the chance to pursue the American Dream and social acceptance? Immigrants have different motives for coming to America some may seek citizenship for political freedoms that they once did not have due to uprising civil wars in their native country. Others may come for social freedoms that they were not awarded in their home country due to sexual orientation. Others may come for economic freedoms that allows them to go from rags to riches. No matter the reason, immigrants risk everything for a chance to pursue the American dream. So why is it so hard for immigrants to earn a spot as a citizen of the United States of America? Why are immigrants still facing narrow-mindedness criticism for being foreign? It is time for Americans to change their prejudice views of immigrants.
Perea, Juan. Immigrants Out! The New Nativism and the Anti-Immigrant Impulse in the United States. New York or London: New York University Press, 1997. Print.
...olyakova, A., S and Holtz, W. 2012. European integration, nationalism and European identity.JCMS: Journal of Common Market Studies, 50 (s1), pp. 106--122.
Millions of people around the globe immigrate into different countries every year. For some people, moving to a new place can be about taking on a different career opportunity, following a love interest, or reuniting with family. While for others, immigration is necessary to survive. It is not a simple choice, but rather a struggle to escape the horrors in their own country. There are numerous nations that welcome immigrants and refugees with open arms, but many do not. Picking up your life and traveling to a new country is hard even in the most accepting of places. For example, in the US, there are varieties of cultures and people from all over the world, making it one of the most desirable places for immigrants. Yet, even still, Americans can be unwelcoming and rude to outsiders. One of the largest populations of immigrants is in France, with around 7.4 million foreign-born people living there in 2010. Despite this large number, the French culture is one of the most nationalistic in the world, which can sometimes come off as hostile to newcomers. The history and development of French immigration policies is full of stubbornness and errors. Even now, the country’s unwillingness to allow new cultures to flourish in their home is becoming a large issue for the masses of immigrants that reside in France.
The nature and meaning of the term ‘nationalism’ has many different facets and dimensions. At times, deconstructing the different theoretical literature can become confusing and complicated process. These ambiguities arise from the different meanings scholars attribute to the term, while also the nature and meaning of nationalism is constantly being contested. To Primordialists, the *path to nationalism
Bharati Mukherjee’s story, “Two Ways to Belong in America”, is about two sisters from India who later came to America in search of different ambitions. Growing up they were very similar in their looks and their beliefs, but they have contrasting views on immigration and citizenship. Both girls had been living in the United States for 35 years and only one sister had her citizenship. Bharati decided not to follow Indian traditional values and she married outside of her culture. She had no desire to continue worshipping her culture from her childhood, so she became a United States citizen. Her ideal life goal was to stay in America and transform her life. Mira, on the other hand, married an Indian student and they both earned labor certifications that was crucial for a green card. She wanted to move back to India after retirement because that is where her heart belonged. The author’s tone fluctuates throughout the story. At the beginning of the story her tone is pitiful but then it becomes sympathizing and understanding. She makes it known that she highly disagrees with her sister’s viewpoints but she is still considerate and explains her sister’s thought process. While comparing the two perspectives, the author uses many
The concept of citizenship traditionally has two meanings: it both implies legal relationships between a person and a country, thus being close to nationality, and defines a normative ideal of the association with a political community and an active participation in it; while analyzing the attributes of ‘a good citizen’, we mostly deal with the latter. Though it is democracy that enables us to fully exploit the capacities of our citizenship by giving us civil, political and social rights, it itself requires responsible citizens for proper functioning of its institutions. However, more and more people these days prefer to abstain from public life and to pursue private interests, and with the growth of passive citizenship, it is worth asking: what does constitute a good citizen? I believe that a good citizen is a person who never makes a choice between private interests and public activities, but the one whose life is balanced between those two, the one who needs to step outside the close circle to fulfill his life-mission, to realize his potential.