Policy in welfare states as the Netherlands over the last decade explicitly tried to build bridges between people and politics, to remake social cohesion, to bring citizens of different cultures together. 'More citizenship' was a prominent part of these policies. As the notion of citizenship was hardly embedded in education or culture at large, the program of 'more citizenship' took off as a healing strategy and little was left of the idea of citizens sharing differences of opinion and checking power. This shows in the patterns of behaviour of active citizens, they put their energy in social activities and consider political activity tainted.
The panel adresses to what degree the understanding of citizenship by citizens is historically and culturally fixed and under what conditions citizenship policy can be more than a disciplining strategy. With prof Ido de Haan (Utrecht University) prof James Kennedy (University of Amsterdam) and dr Sarah de Lange (University of Amsterdam).
