What is a citizen?

Voter
At the most basic level, citizenship is defined in narrow, legalistic terms: citizens are members of the nation, born in South Africa, or naturalised through a formal process. Citizens have rights guaranteed by the Constitution, while non-citizens are deprived of many of these rights.  Central to this notion of citizenship is the right to vote. Once voted into power, government is expected to deliver the goods. Citizens are seen as recipients of government services.  When these are insufficient, they have the right to protest.

Volunteer
Another view of citizenship focuses not only on rights, but also on responsibilities. This view of citizenship is somewhat more outward-looking. In the first place, citizens are encouraged not only to claim the rights that are due to them, but to be aware of the rights of others and to take some responsibility for protecting and fulfilling them. Here the concept of volunteerism is seen to be important. The “good citizen” is neighbourly, takes care of others, and is concerned about the community at large. Such commitment is often shown through involvement in voluntary activities.  Participation in public life is seen as a duty, but interaction with other citizens is favoured above interaction with government.

Co-creator
Perhaps the richest view of citizenship is based on the idea of the citizen as co-creator, working in partnership with government to address society’s problems (big and small), and to develop solutions of lasting, public value.  Understood in this way, the framework for public life is not determined only by government (through formal structures or channels of communication), but is created by citizens themselves. Decisions are not made from the top down. Rather, citizens themselves work together to identify issues, diagnose problems, develop strategies, form coalitions, and work on problems to effect political change, and to create things of public importance. This view of the citizen is based on the belief that ordinary people of all ages have different talents, insights and skills to help solve complex problems that government cannot solve on its own. The joint work of citizens and government is a way of co-creating the world we live in.  It can be called “public work”.

Our own definition of citizenship has implications for how we view other citizens, government and politics in general. The table gives three definitions of the citizen, with related attitudes towards government, politics and leadership below each.