TORONTO, January 15, 2003 -- With Canadian scholars in the forefront of international research on the changing nature of citizenship world wide, York University today established the Citizenship Studies Media Lab (CSML) as a Canadian headquarters and global clearing house for research. It is directed by Engin Isin, York professor of social science and holder of the Canada Research Chair in Citizenship Studies.
"The plural nationalities characteristic of the 21st century are forcing a revision of the modern liberal idea of citizenship in the nation state, and European nations and Japan are looking to multinational societies like Canada and Australia for new citizenship laws and practices," said Isin. "Citizenship is increasingly a transnational matter in a world of mass, global migrations and globalization, and it is now widely accepted that countries have to accommodate some forms of differentiated citizenship."
Isin is co-editor, with University of Cambridge Professor Bryan S. Turner, of the Handbook of Citizenship Studies (Sage, UK, 2002), and managing editor of the International Journal of Citizenship Studies. He notes that even though citizenship laws are enacted at the state level, cities now play a greater role in shaping social, economic and cultural change, and fostering citizenship, and the codification of international human rights norms has prompted increasing recognition of citizenship as a transnational matter.
The Citizenship Studies Media Lab is located in Calumet College at York’s Keele campus. It will be a training ground for doctoral and post-doctoral students, and provide resources to outside researchers, journalists, and policy makers. Through its own Web and information server the CSML will also provide a searchable registry of researchers and their areas of expertise in Canada and other countries; a database of current and past citizenship debates; and a knowledge base of documents, articles, legislation and publications on citizenship studies. The CSML Web site will begin delivering some of its services and information by spring 2003. You can visit the site at http://csml.calumet.yorku.ca.
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For further information, please contact:
| Prof. Engin Isin | Susan Bigelow |
| Division of Social Science | Media Relations |
| York University | York University |
| 416-736-2100, ext. 20346 | 416-736-2100, ext. 22091 |
| isin@yorku.ca | sbigelow@yorku.ca |
YU/004/03
