Birte Siim - Böcker

This new book shows how citizenship, and its meaning and form, has become a vital site of contestation. It clearly demonstrates how whilst minority groups struggle to redefine the rights of citizenship in more pluralized forms, the responsibilities of citizenship are being reaffirmed by democratic governments concerned to maintain the common political culture underpinning the nation. In this context, one of the central questions confronting contemporary state and their citizens is how recognition of socio-cultural ‘differences’ can be integrated into a universal conception of citizenship that aims to secure equality for all. Equality policies have become a central aspect of contemporary European public policy. The ‘equality/difference’ debate has been a central concern of recent feminist theory. The need to recognize diversity amongst women, and to work with the concept of ‘intersectionality’ has become widespread amongst political theory. Meanwhile European states have each been negotiating the demands of ethnicity, disability, sexuality, religion, age and gender in ways shaped by their own institutional and cultural histories. This book was previously published as a special issue of Critical Review of International Social & Political Philosophy (CRISPP).

Feminist analysis shows that the prevailing concepts of citizenship often assume a male citizen. How, then, does this affect the agency and participation of women in modern democracies? This insightful book, first published in 2000, presents a systematic comparison of the links between women's social rights and democratic citizenship in three different citizenship models: republican citizenship in France, liberal citizenship in Britain, and social citizenship in Denmark. Birte Siim argues that France still suffers from the contradictions of pro-natalist policy, and that Britain is only just starting to re-conceptualise the male-breadwinner model that is still a dominant feature. In her examination of the dual-breadwinner model in Denmark, Siim presents research about Scandinavian social policy and makes an important and timely contribution to debates in political sociology, social policy and gender studies.

Feminist analysis shows that the prevailing concepts of citizenship often assume a male citizen. How, then, does this affect the agency and participation of women in modern democracies? This insightful book, first published in 2000, presents a systematic comparison of the links between women's social rights and democratic citizenship in three different citizenship models: republican citizenship in France, liberal citizenship in Britain, and social citizenship in Denmark. Birte Siim argues that France still suffers from the contradictions of pro-natalist policy, and that Britain is only just starting to re-conceptualise the male-breadwinner model that is still a dominant feature. In her examination of the dual-breadwinner model in Denmark, Siim presents research about Scandinavian social policy and makes an important and timely contribution to debates in political sociology, social policy and gender studies.

Leading scholar, Birte Siim, presents an erudite examination of gender and politics from intersectional, transnational and postnational perspectives. Addressing key areas of classical and contemporary feminism, Siim explores the influence of diverse national, socio-economic and political contexts on gender politics across the globe.Examining feminist methodologies, theories and research, the book investigates key feminist topics such as rethinking patriarchy and the critique of the public-private divide, as well as more contemporary discussions including the postcolonial feminist critique of methodological nationalism, Western universalism and Eurocentrism. It highlights how gender scholarship is informed by global socio-economic developments, geopolitical issues and crises such as the wars in Afghanistan and Syria. Looking ahead, Siim calls for future gender politics scholarship to consider feminist ecological approaches and advocates for strategies which centre social, reproductive and climate justice.Rethinking Gender and Politics is an essential resource for students and academics in gender studies, political science, sociology and development studies. It is also a valuable read for practitioners, activists and policymakers involved in feminism, climate justice and decolonization.

This edited collection considers how transformations in contemporary societies have raised questions surrounding our sense of community and belonging, alongside our management of increased diversity.Diversity and Contestations over Nationalism in Europe and Canada includes contributions that consider the rise in regional nationalism and a greater willingness to recognise that many states are multinational. It critically explores the effects of altered patterns of immigration and emigration, including whether they give rise to (or re-invigorate) transnational or border-crossing forms of nationalism.The book also identifies the patterns of national transformation, especially in Europe, which we see coupled with significant nationalist reactions by populists as well as extreme right-wing movements and parties. This multidisciplinary collection of works will be a useful resource forresearchers and students of political sociology in Europe and Canada, particularly within the contexts of immigration, multiculturalism and globalization.

This new book shows how citizenship, and its meaning and form, has become a vital site of contestation. It clearly demonstrates how whilst minority groups struggle to redefine the rights of citizenship in more pluralized forms, the responsibilities of citizenship are being reaffirmed by democratic governments concerned to maintain the common political culture underpinning the nation. In this context, one of the central questions confronting contemporary state and their citizens is how recognition of socio-cultural ‘differences’ can be integrated into a universal conception of citizenship that aims to secure equality for all. Equality policies have become a central aspect of contemporary European public policy. The ‘equality/difference’ debate has been a central concern of recent feminist theory. The need to recognize diversity amongst women, and to work with the concept of ‘intersectionality’ has become widespread amongst political theory. Meanwhile European states have each been negotiating the demands of ethnicity, disability, sexuality, religion, age and gender in ways shaped by their own institutional and cultural histories. This book was previously published as a special issue of Critical Review of International Social & Political Philosophy (CRISPP).

This edited collection considers how transformations in contemporary societies have raised questions surrounding our sense of community and belonging, alongside our management of increased diversity.Diversity and Contestations over Nationalism in Europe and Canada includes contributions that consider the rise in regional nationalism and a greater willingness to recognise that many states are multinational. It critically explores the effects of altered patterns of immigration and emigration, including whether they give rise to (or re-invigorate) transnational or border-crossing forms of nationalism.The book also identifies the patterns of national transformation, especially in Europe, which we see coupled with significant nationalist reactions by populists as well as extreme right-wing movements and parties. This multidisciplinary collection of works will be a useful resource forresearchers and students of political sociology in Europe and Canada, particularly within the contexts of immigration, multiculturalism and globalization.

An important contribution to the current literature on gender and social politics, this book challenges mainstream thinking on welfare states, citizenship, family, work, and social policy. Contested Concepts in Gender and Social Politics analyses the corresponding shifts in political discourse, and the changes in socio-political configurations that mirror changing gender relations.The discussion is both international and interdisciplinary, and focuses on topics that include citizenship, social exclusion and inclusion, care, social capital and representation, amongst others. The contributors examine these issues in relation to current policy debates and consider how they are embedded in particular European intellectual traditions. They also explore how feminist scholarship has engaged with these issues, and assess how these contested concepts can improve understanding both of the position of women and of gender relations more broadly.This is the first major transnational attempt to address the conceptual basis for current work in the field of social policy and social politics from both a feminist and genuinely comparative viewpoint. As such it will be invaluable to undergraduate and graduate students of social policy, politics and sociology.

An important contribution to the current literature on gender and social politics, this book challenges mainstream thinking on welfare states, citizenship, family, work, and social policy. Contested Concepts in Gender and Social Politics analyses the corresponding shifts in political discourse, and the changes in socio-political configurations that mirror changing gender relations.The discussion is both international and interdisciplinary, and focuses on topics that include citizenship, social exclusion and inclusion, care, social capital and representation, amongst others. The contributors examine these issues in relation to current policy debates and consider how they are embedded in particular European intellectual traditions. They also explore how feminist scholarship has engaged with these issues, and assess how these contested concepts can improve understanding both of the position of women and of gender relations more broadly.This is the first major transnational attempt to address the conceptual basis for current work in the field of social policy and social politics from both a feminist and genuinely comparative viewpoint. As such it will be invaluable to undergraduate and graduate students of social policy, politics and sociology.

This is a collectively written, inter-disciplinary, thematic cross-national study which combines conceptual, theoretical, empirical and policy material in an ambitious and innovative way to explore a key concept in contemporary European political, policy and academic debates. The first part of the book clarifies the various ways that the concept of citizenship has developed historically and is understood today in a range of Western European welfare states. It elaborates on the contemporary framing of debates and struggles around citizenship. This provides a framework for three policy studies, looking at: migration and multiculturalism; the care of young children; and home-based childcare and transnational dynamics. The book is unusual in weaving together the topics of migration and childcare and in studying these issues together within a gendered citizenship framework. It also demonstrates the value of a multi-level conceptualisation of citizenship, stretching from the domestic sphere through the national and European levels to the global. The book is aimed at students of social policy, sociology, European studies, women's studies and politics and at researchers/scholars/policy analysts in the areas of citizenship, gender, welfare states and migration.

This book explores the activism and solidarity movements formed by contemporary European citizens in opposition to populism, which has risen significantly in reaction to globalization, European integration and migration.

Chapter(s) “Chapter 12.” is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.