Autonomy and Activeness

: The Transformation of Citizenship in Social Policies

Abstract

The normative goal of social policy is to realize civic autonomy and activeness. Welfare state policies were trying to achieve them based on social citizenship. Neoliberal policies criticized social rights and argued that autonomous citizens should earn and help themselves in the marketplace. The Third Way regarded the government’s role in enabling citizens to participate autonomously in markets and civil society. Activation policies are aimed at making citizens active. Moreover, the OECD’s education policy is an activation policy and cultivates agency to achieve well-being under the influence of the capability approach. As a social goal, well-being is different for each community and democratically determined. A capability approach based on individualism and citizenship studies needs to be combined to ensure that community goals do not conflict with universal human rights.