ABSTRACT
Since citizenship is a contested concept, education for citizenship is also a site of debate
and controversy. This chapter explores the limitations of education for national citizenship,
and reflects on the deficit models of young people which are often presented in justifying
citizenship education. Extending political theorist David Held’s model of cosmopolitan
democracy, the authors propose the term education for cosmopolitan citizenship. They
explore the features of education for citizenship in the context of globalisation, noting that
citizenship education addresses local, national, regional and global issues. Such a perspective
is critical in preparing young people to live together in increasingly diverse local communities
and an interdependent world. The authors report on research carried out with young people
living in multicultural communities in Leicester, UK, to explore understandings of community
and levels of civic engagement. They explore the multiple identities and loyalties of these
young people and identify sites of learning for citizenship in homes and communities. Drawing
on these findings, the chapter concludes that a re-conceptualised education for cosmopolitan
citizenship needs to address peace, human rights, democracy and development, equipping
young people to make a difference at all levels, from the local to the global.
