Introduction

This introduction sets out the central concerns of this special issue, the relationship between marginality and the political. In doing so, it makes the argument that the process of marginalisation, the sites and experiences of ‘marginality’ provide a different lens through which to understand citizenship. Viewing the political as the struggle over belonging it considers how recent studies of citizenship have understood political agency. It argues that marginality can help us understand multiple scales, struggles and solidarities both within and beyond citizenship. Whilst there is a radical potential in much of the existing literature in citizenship studies, it is also important to consider political subjectivities and acts which are not subsumed by right claims. Exploring marginality in this way means understanding how subjects are disenfranchised by regimes of citizenship and at the same time how this also (en)genders new political possibilities which are not always orientated towards ‘inclusion’. The introduction then sets out how each article contributes to this project.