The Boundaries of Citizenship: Race, Ethnicity, and Nationality in the Liberal State

Liberalism has traditionally been equated with protecting the rights of the individual. But how does this protection affect the cultural identity of these individuals? In The Boundaries of Citizenship Jeff Spinner addresses this question by examining distinctive racial, ethnic, and national groups whose identities may be transformed in liberal society. Focusing on the Amish, Hasidic Jews, and African Americans in the United States and on the Quebecois in Canada, Spinner explores the paradox of how liberal values such as equality and individual autonomy-which members of cultural groups often fight to attain-can lead to the unexpected transformation of the group's identity. Spinner shows how liberalism fosters this transformation by encouraging the dispersal of the group's cultural practices throughout society. He examines why groups that reject the liberal values of equality and autonomy are the most successful at retaining their distinctive cultural identity. He finds, however, that these groups also fit-albeit uneasily-in the liberal state. Spinner concludes that citizens are benefitted more than harmed by liberalism's tendency to alter cultural boundaries. The Boundaries of Citizenship is a timely look at how cultural identities are formed and transformed-and why the political implications of this process are so important. The book will be of interest to readers in a broad range of academic disciplines, including political science, law, history, sociology, and cultural studies.

Table of Contents:
Preface Part I: Introduction Chapter 1. Liberalism Chapter 2. Race, Ethnicity, and Nationality and Liberal Thought Part II: The Formation of Identity Chapter 3. The Construction of Identity Chapter 4. Race Chapter 5. Ethnicity Chapter 6. Nationality Chapter 7. Contested Meanings Part III: The Demands of Liberal Citizenship Chapter 8. Jewish Emancipation and the Jewish Question Chapter 9. Civil Society and Equal Citizenship Chapter 10. The Demands of Liberal Citizenship Chapter 11. The Transformation of Ethnic Identity Chapter 12. Political Participation and Identity Chapter 13. Community and Diversity Part IV: Pluralistic Integration Chapter 14. The Limits to Cultural Pluralism Chapter 15. Illiberal Cultural Practices Chapter 16. Toward Pluralistic Integration Chapter 17. Pluralism, Power, and Standards Chapter 18. Ethnic Failures, Ethnic Success Part V: The Ethnic Rejection of Liberal Citizenship Chapter 19. The Amish Community Chapter 20. Liberal Changes Chapter 21. Partial Citizenship Chapter 22. Choosing to be Amish Chapter 23. Justifying Yoder Chapter 24. A Liberal Paradox: The Case of Hasidim Part VI: Race and the Failure of Liberal Citizenship Chapter 25. Liberalism and Racism Chapter 26. Realizing Equal Citizenship Chapter 27. Public Recognition of Black Citizenship Chapter 28. Reconfiguring Civil Society Chapter 29. Black Power and Black Culture Chapter 30. Black Identity in the Liberal State Part VII: Language and Nationality Chapter 31. The Two Faces of Nationalism Chapter 32. Public Language, Public Culture, and Public Space Chapter 33. The Liberal Facilitation of Nationalism Chapter 34. Cultural Preservation Chapter 35. Nationalism and Citizenship Chapter 36. Liberalism and Nationalism Part VIII: The Boundaries of Citizenship Chapter 37. Boundaries and Identity Chapter 38. The Tensions of Diversity Chapter 39. Pluralistic Education Chapter 40. Liberalism and Cultural Identity Notes Bibliography Index

About the Author :
Jeff Spinner teaches political science at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.

Review :
Concerned with the transmutation of citizenship that follows from changes in which ethnic and subcultural identities are viewed in contemporary liberal democracies... Spinner moves toward his positive or prescriptive conclusions through careful and balanced reading of a broad range of scholarly work in political science, anthropology, and philosophy, as well as in sociology, and with clear and convincing argument. -- Martin O. Heisler Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science This volume does an excellent job of coming to grips with the issue [of classical liberal political theory treating citizens solely as individuals instead of groups into which real populations are divided] in normative terms. Foreign Affairs