Reflections on the Social Construction of Citizenship

It is not uncommon to find liberal cosmopolitan theorists who equate the concepts of citizenship, gender (or sex), and race. What is surprising, however, is that this is often done without a deep analysis of the concepts involved. This attitude contrasts, at least, with that of critical feminism, which engages in complex and profound discussions to understand what gender and race are, as well as their similarities. Here, I will attempt a systematic exploration of this conceptual equation, drawing on contributions from critical feminism and social ontology. My aim is to clarify issues related to citizenship that may help us engage more productively with certain debates in the field of justice theory.