ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book provides a brief profile of some figures of contemporary membership whose experiences and predicaments will be examined by the contributors of this collection. It also provides a diverse set of case studies of migrant and minority populations located in the grey areas which are both within and beyond the traditional realm of citizenship, an expanding space, marked by increasing legal ambiguity and protracted precariousness. The book considers how ideas of citizenship and membership shape the everyday lived experiences of citizens and non-citizens across a range of contemporary societies in Europe and North America. It also considers how the dynamics of inclusion and exclusion operate across a range of geographical spaces and through individuals' everyday interactions with the state. The book describes the external and internal borders of nation-states where new spaces of legal ambiguity and precariousness are forged and policed.
