What then of the future of citizenship
studies? To put it starkly, there is neither a
singular way of engaging with citizenship
studies nor a singular way of investigating
its objects. In fact, it is this dispersed discursive
aspect that provides its vitality and
liveliness, rather than an orthodox set of
rules that govern conduct. Citizenship studies
also embodies a potential to channel energies
in various disciplines that focus upon
social justice into a renewed focus with a
vigor and robustness that so far have eluded
‘postmodernized’ and ‘globalized’ social
sciences and humanities. As this introductory
chapter has shown, there are many
dimensions to the contemporary debate
about citizenship and otherness, and we can
predict that the evolution of citizenship
theory will be equally complex, but we
conclude with three issues that strike us as
urgent. We will structure this discussion
around the problem of national citizenship
in relation to human rights, the question of
the obligations and virtues of the citizen,
and finally the problem of globalization and
territoriality.