ABSTRACT
In the previous chapters we examined and contrasted various models of citizenship and ways in which citizenship is seen as problematic in British society. We also indicated certain issues involved when treating citizenship as a ‘problem’. We noted, for instance, that despite the apparent absence of a widely used language of citizenship, Britain in the period after the Second World War nevertheless developed an extensive welfare state that could be seen as embodying and operationalising a strong model of social citizenship. It can also be observed that certain social consequences that could be expected as resulting from a weak sense of citizenship are not apparent. In particular, the conduct of everyday life in British society continues, in comparative terms, in a relatively well-ordered and civil way. Admittedly there are periodic outbreaks of soccer hooliganism and rioting and moral panics about muggings and concerns about crime, but as historians have pointed out, such things are themselves part of a long English tradition. However, in terms of indicators such as crime statistics or in the simple experiences of walking the streets, travelling on buses, shopping in high streets, drinking in pubs, life in the public sphere is generally conducted in a safe, courteous and convivial manner for most people in most places most of the time. In these respects, Britain displays what might be termed a high level of civility in many aspects of its everyday life.
