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CITIZEN
Originally a status possessed by an individual in ancient Roman society and distinguishing them as free individuals, with full legal rights, from those, like slaves, who were in servitude and lacked civil rights. The term is used generally to refer to the individual as an active member of a democratic political community. It was not until the Canadian Citizenship Act : of 1947 that the people of Canada became ‘Canadian’ citizens. Prior to that date immigrants and native-born people alike were simply British subjects.

Last updated 2002--0-9-


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Athabaca University ICAAP

© Robert Drislane, Ph.D. and Gary Parkinson, Ph.D.
The online version of this dictionary is a product of
Athabasca University and
ICAAP

*This social science dictionary has 1000
entries covering the disciplines of sociology, criminology, political
science and women's study with a commitment to Canadian examples and
events and names