The ethnocentric construction of the concept of citizenship in the context of contemporary european liberalism

Abstract

The present work, carried out in a philosophical approach of interdisciplinary relationship, aims to analyze and understand the dynamics of the process of ethnocentric construction of the concept of citizenship in the context of contemporary European liberalism. This work is a qualitative approach, of a theoretical nature, developed through exploratory bibliographic research. The results indicate that the concept of citizenship, determined by the classical European liberal conception, is increasingly permeated with the common sense of several contemporary democratic societies, but the manifestation of ethnocentrism in discourses and social practices that claim to be egalitarian has been an obstacle to realization of citizenship. Therefore, the discussion about the limitations of the concept of citizenship cannot be ignored by societies that intend to progress in the processes of democratization of institutions and social and political practices. From these results, it was concluded that absolute privilege cannot be given to the obsession with universalist assimilation. Universalism, which could mean the belief and investment in a convergent and harmonious path for the human species in its inexhaustible diversity, has been appropriated by Eurocentrism, which stands as the paradigm for the exercise of citizenship and the evolution of other societies.