- can be understood as more than just a status that is granted by a country
- it is the relationship that a person has with the country he/she is a member of
- Can be understood differently by different people
- Can be understood differently over time ⇒ depending on persons knowledge, lived experiences and aspirations an understanding of 4 attributes in this chapter Legal Status Rights of Citizens Obligations of Citizens
Sense of Identity Shared Values Civic Participation
| Individuals | Informal Groups | Formal Groups |
|---|---|---|
| Individuals can participate in public affairs by volunteering their time, effort, money in matters they are concerned about ‘I love cats! I will spend my time protecting cats in my neighborhood’ | When there is an issue/area of need that requires attention → people organize themselves into informal community groups to address the concern/specific need. These groups → generally exist for the period of time needed to address the specific objectives. → may not be registered with the government. ‘There is a person attacking cats in the neighborhood. Me and a couple neighbors are doing patrols | Formal groups → have clear objectives + are officially registered with the government. → cater to specific needs + interests of society → generally devote their efforts over a sustained period of time. NGO → non governmental organizations → not necessarily affiliated with and may not receive any funding from govt SSA → social service agencies → affiliated with govt through national council of social service (NCSS) → which provides some coordination and funding |
Some citizens → participating actively in public affairs → important part of their lives → their understanding of membership and having a stake in their country is based on → what they as citizens can do to actively contribute to public affairs.
Other citizens → being personally responsible + takin care of themselves and their family members → also ways of contributing to their country
Example of NGO Zero Waste Singapore ⇒ NGO ⇒ leading the drive towards - waste in Singapore ⇒ through education and advocacy → engages the public, companies, schools and governmental agencies ⇒ to discuss the 3Rs in relation to food waste, plastic disposables, household recycling, and organizational waste. ⇒ 430 retail outlets offered incentives to customers who bring their own brown reusable bags, bottles or containers. 4 months ⇒ initiative reduced over 2.5 million pieces of plastic disposables.
Example of SSA SG enable ⇒ dedicated to enabling persons with disabilities and promoting and inclusive society. Through workshops organized by SG enable ⇒ participants learn how to interact with consumers with disabilities + improve accessibility of products and services for them.