Dr. Stefano Braghiroli

University of Tartu

The ‘good citizen’: Blood, soil and solidarity

Dr. Stefano Braghiroli is Lecturer of European Studies at the Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies of the University of Tartu. In this video, he talks about the dimensions of European citizenship and expounds on evolving definitions of active citizenship along and its applicability for European youth.

What is the definition of active citizenship in relation to youth?

  • Citizenship implies activism
  • Greek polis
  • Liberal-individualist conception of citizenship
  • Civic-republican conception of citizenship
  • Bi-directional model of citizenship: Internal/External and Individual/Collective
  • Four components of active citizenship: political dimension, social dimension, cultural dimension, economic dimension
  • Social capital: bonds, bridges, and linkages

What are Material and Post-material definitions of citizenship?

  • Citizen vs Subject – Citizenship vs Nationality
  • Blood and the Land
  • Crisis of nation state
  • European Union
  • Challenges tp key foundations of nation state.
  • Poland’s preamble and the preamble of the treaty on European Union

What are the factors that create a stronger sense of national or European citizenship in youth? What other post-material frameworks of citizenship exist?

  • “European Dream”
  • European Union as an answer to the crisis of the nation state bases itself on inclusivity, multicultural diversity, and on the idea of shared culture and shared responsibility for a better future.
  • Stepping stone to define a broader more cosmopolitan global community?
  • Mixed key elements that define people’s senses of being European citizens
  • Source of sense of belonging
  • Avante garde young people