 Issues Today Volume 1: Citizenship
Editor: Lisa Firth
Publisher: Independence Educational Publishers
Price: £5.95
Cover: Paperback
Pages: 32
ISBN: 978 1 86168 398 4
Published: April 2007
Factors such as migration, foreign travel and the Internet mean that we increasingly feel part of a global as well as a national community. Is national identity still important to us in a multicultural society? Does democracy still matter, or do people care less about having a say in how their country is run if they feel that nothing is changing? What do young people expect from their role as citizens? These are just some of the questions raised in Citizenship.
The information comes from a variety of sources, including government reports and statistics, newspaper and magazine articles, surveys and polls, academic research and literature from charities and lobby groups; articles have been tailored to an 11 to 14 age group. Additionally, at the end of each chapter is a page of activities relating to the articles and issues raised in that chapter.
Table of Contents
Chapter One: Our National Identity
What is citizenship, The citizenship test, The Union Jack – a symbol of unity?, Flying the flag, Identity cards, Activities.
Chapter Two: Getting Into Government
Parliament, Voting for Dummies, General election jargon buster, General elections, How laws are made, The history of voting in Britain, Activities.
Chapter Three: Young Citizens
Youth participation, Youth parliaments and councils, European Union citizenship, Young people and Europe, What is Global Citizenship?, Citizenship education, Activities.
Key Facts
Glossary
Acknowledgements
• Although a symbol of national unity, for many people in the UK the Union Jack highlights the social, political and cultural splits that exist between and within the countries that make up the British Isles. (pages 6–7)
• Parliament is made up of the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The House of Commons contains 646 MPs who are elected every five years at a General Election. (pages 11–12)
• To vote, you have to be 18 or over. You must also be a UK national. Sitting peers in the House of Lords and convicted prisoners cannot vote. To vote, your name must be included on the register of electors. Avoiding registration is a criminal offence. (page 21)
• Young people feel ignored by politicians yet still want to have more say over the running of their country, according to a major nationwide survey of young people carried out on behalf of the British Youth Council. (page 21)
• Youth parliaments work to encourage young people to participate in the political process, to provide a place where a young person’s voice can be heard and an environment where young people’s views are taken seriously and acted upon. (pages 22–23)
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