Disabled People and the Rights to Social Citizenship Essay

Disabled People and the Rights to Social Citizenship - Essay Example The British government has proffered different definitions of a citizen as components of the various solutions proposed in respect of the extent social, economic and political problems and these solutions have affected the rights of individuals (Young, 1985). The Conservative government under John Major introduced a Citizen’s Charter in order to subject public services to market forces. Accordingly, citizens obtained the right to choose. This development in conjunction with privatization was considered to be the panacea for the ills of the inefficient public services. Citizenship can be perceived either by the individualist approach in which the nature of citizenship is determined by individual choice or the structuralist approach in which the determining factors are social and economic in nature. Further, â€Å"Choice-based theories are exemplified in their purest form by economics†¦. In this world, individuals seek to maximize their utility by obtaining the highest ret urn at the minimum cost from any course of action which they undertake† (Pattie, Seyd, and Whiteley, 2004, pp 138-139).Consequently, â€Å"Citizenship is a status bestowed on those who are full members of a community. [and who] †¦are equal with respect to the rights and duties with which the status is endowed† (Marshall, 1950, p. 28). These rights are of three kinds civil, political or social. The Civil rights are, â€Å"liberty of the person, freedom of speech, thought and faith, the right to own property and to conclude valid contracts, and the right to justice† (Marshall, 1950, p. 10). Political rights comprise of â€Å"the right to participate in the exercise of political power† and social rights are â€Å"the whole range from the right to a modicum of economic welfare and security to the right to share to the full in the social heritage.