Paradoxes of democracy: the dialectic of inclusion/ exclusion

The aim of the paper is to challenge the concept of citizenship in the light of the main paradox of politics and democracy, consisting of the dialectic of inclusion and exclusion within a delimited territory. A reconstruction of the recent debate on social citizenship, multiculturalism and cosmopolitanism – which refers to the transformation of the welfare state, the process of European unification and the effects of globalisation – allows for the reconceptualising of the notions of marginalisation and social policy within a more complex international scenario. This factor should permit one to extend and, at the same time, to restrict the political/cultural boundaries of the nation/welfare state. Indeed, the main challenge consists of rethinking the normative basis and meaning of a ‘cross-borders’ democracy, social justice and global governance, starting from local experiences.