Cultural citizenship : understanding the natural states of freedom, participation and equality in light of societies self-awareness, -contemplation and -reflection through culture and cultural evolutionary learning by mode of media : exemplified with a small selective sample of the int. postgrad. student population at NTNU
Master thesis

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Date
2015Metadata
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- Institutt for geografi [1143]
Abstract
The presented study represents a holistic approach to citizenship theory in general and cultural citizenship in particular, with specific focus on their inherently evolutionary nature and challenges as well as dilemmas facing them in the face of globalization. As such it has distinct relevance for the subject of citizenship as a whole. In addition it includes a specific and qualitative study of the cultural make-up of the international post-graduate student body at NTNU, with detailed regard to their enactment of citizenship as highly educated migrants.
Initially establishing a hold on contemporary citizenship theory by deliberating the concepts of citizenship, the state, nationalism and democracy as well as relations between them. The study goes on to give a brief account of citizenships historic development while keeping mind its evolutionary nature. Subsequently establishing a theory of cultural citizenship, with particular regard to contemporary experiences and enactments thereof. The presented study goes on to establish how individual citizens culturally learn through the use of media and their tools, with a specific attention to the emergence of the internet as perhaps the most modern of all media.
Finally and after outlining the projects methodological approach, the presented work goes on to analyse the data gathered through qualitative interviewing of a purposefully and conveniently picked non-probability sample of the international post-graduate student body at NTNU. Concluding with an explanation of how individual citizens, illustrated by the sample, make sense of their natural states of freedom, participation and equality all the while culturally learning to cope with the challenges this poses on a individual, mutual and collective level through self-awareness, -contemplation and -reflection by the use of media and their tools, thereby becoming cultural citizens.