Lesson 2 Rights and Responsibilities
4. Conclusion
Individual and Collective Citizenship
Liberalism is an ideology based on individualism, self-interest, and individual rights and freedoms. Liberal democracies try to achieve these things for their individual citizens through constitutional guarantees. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the American Bill of Rights are examples of this. However, individuals live in societies made up of many other individuals. As a result, even liberal society is a collective group. To what extent should individualism and self-interest come before the goals of the collective society? Should government always provide for everything? |
Final Thoughts:
Imagine how you would feel if you were the victim of a mugging and no one stopped to help you. You call for help, but no one pays any attention; they walk around you and continue on their way. Imagine the problems a community would have if no one volunteered to build playgrounds or help with community fund-raisers.
To make society better for everyone, people need to become involved. Unless citizens participate in their communities, whether in a local neighborhood or on a national level or even on a global level, society suffers. Citizenship means that citizens must act in ways that contribute to society as a whole. In other words, citizenship is a participatory process. |