Ciitizenship & social order..... This chapter discussed what citizenship means, what benifits it gives and who is included or excluded through it. It also discusses equlity, and how equlity can disadvantage people or exclude them. The simple example is the law on motorcycle hemets and the Sikh community, saying that approaches to citizenship which treat everyone equal do not take notice of cultural, sexual, racial or body differences and so can lead to inequalities.
This is a bit of a cicular argument as to say that treating people the same leads to inequality is one thing, however how can treating people differently lead to equality. The question is which right 'trumps' other rights. For example the right for the religious owners of a B&B to insist same sex couples have separate rooms on their religious grounds against the right of same sex couples to use the B&B - this is currently goping through the courts - does a religious right have more or less 'power' than the right to express your sexuality, and who should decide.
The chapter has much discussion about inclusion v. exclusion, equal treatment for all v. exceptions due to difference, but does not answer any of the questions it poses. I think I may need to read it again, as it was a bit hard going at times.
No comments:
Post a Comment