Overview

"Birth-based citizenship is widely considered to be the most secure claim to political belonging. Despite the general belief that liberal democracies are formed through consent, in fact, most people are members of a political community by virtue of the circumstances of their birth. In Canadian Club, Lois Harder tracks the development of Canada’s Citizenship Act from its first iteration in 1947 to the provisions governing the citizenship of children born abroad to Canadian parents with the assistance of reproductive technologies. Reviewing a range of cases, Harder reveals how membership in the Canadian political community relies on norms surrounding gender, family, and sexuality, as well as presumptions regarding the constitution of ""authentic"" national identity, racial hierarchy, and the rightness of settler colonialism. Canadian Club concludes with a consideration of alternative approaches to forming political communities. Ultimately, it asks whether birth-based citizenship is the best we can do and what a more democratic and socially just alternative might look like."

Full Product Details

9781487547660

Table of Contents

Reviews

Canadian Club provides a fascinating analysis of laws and court cases revealing conundrums of citizenship policies. Harder's even-handed attention to prevailing liberal and communitarian theories of citizenship inform her illuminating queer, feminist critique. A great addition to any syllabus on citizenship and mobility. - Jacqueline Stevens, Professor, Department of Political Science, Northwestern University Lois Harder situates the under-explored history of Canadian citizenship against contemporary theoretical, comparative, and critical scholarship. Her rich and nuanced case studies are revealing, provocative, and wonderfully illuminating. - Audrey Macklin, Professor and Chair in Human Rights Law, University of Toronto We tend to take it for granted that citizenship is acquired at birth in the territory or through descent. Tracing changes to Canadian birthright rules over time, Lois Harder demonstrates that birthright citizenship has always been an unstable political and legal construct. This is an exciting and provocative book that will greatly stimulate the debate on the future of birthright citizenship. - Rainer Bauboeck, Professor, Global Governance Programme, European University Institute, Florence

Canadian Club provides a fascinating analysis of laws and court cases revealing conundrums of citizenship policies. Harder's even-handed attention to prevailing liberal and communitarian theories of citizenship inform her illuminating queer, feminist critique. A great addition to any syllabus on citizenship and mobility. - Jacqueline Stevens, Professor, Department of Political Science, Northwestern University Lois Harder situates the under-explored history of Canadian citizenship against contemporary theoretical, comparative, and critical scholarship. Her rich and nuanced case studies are revealing, provocative, and wonderfully illuminating. - Audrey Macklin, Professor and Chair in Human Rights Law, University of Toronto We tend to take it for granted that citizenship is acquired at birth in the territory or through descent. Tracing changes to Canadian birthright rules over time, Lois Harder demonstrates that birthright citizenship has always been an unstable political and legal construct. This is an exciting and provocative book that will greatly stimulate the debate on the future of birthright citizenship. - Rainer Bauboeck, Professor, Global Governance Programme, European University Institute, Florence

Author Information

Lois Harder is Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and a professor of political science at the University of Victoria.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available