
doi: 10.1111/bjso.12042
pmid: 23802847
The British Citizenship Test was introduced in 2005 as one of a raft of new procedures aimed at addressing the perceived problems of integration and social cohesion in migrant communities. In this study, we argue that this new citizenship procedure signals a shift in British political discourse about citizenship – particularly, the institutionalization of a common British citizen identity that is intended to draw citizens together in a new form of political/national community. In line with this, we examine the British Citizenship Test from a social psychological perspective to interrogate the ways in which the test constitutes identity, constitutes citizenship, and constitutes citizenship‐as‐identity. Analysis of the test and its associated documents highlights three ways in which Britishness‐as‐identity is constituted, that is, as a collective identity, as a superordinate and national identity, and finally as both a destination and a journey. These findings are discussed in terms of their implications for models of citizenship and models of identity.
Social Identification, Residence Characteristics, Politics, Formerly Health & Social Sciences, Humans, citizenship, identity, national identity, Britishness, citizenship testing, British citizenship test, political discourse, new labour, Psychology, Social, United Kingdom, Social Science Research Group
Social Identification, Residence Characteristics, Politics, Formerly Health & Social Sciences, Humans, citizenship, identity, national identity, Britishness, citizenship testing, British citizenship test, political discourse, new labour, Psychology, Social, United Kingdom, Social Science Research Group
| selected citations These citations are derived from selected sources. This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | 21 | |
| popularity This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network. | Top 10% | |
| influence This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | Top 10% | |
| impulse This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network. | Top 10% |
