Content 1 Introduction to Understanding Culture, Society and Politics

Topic 6 Cultural Variations and Social Differences (Nationality)

Topic 6: Cultural Variations and Social Differences (Nationality)

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of this lesson, the learners should be able to

 define nationality as a concept in cultural variation and social differences,
 explain different concepts regarding nationality, and
 discuss issues regarding nationality and statelessness.

.
Questions:
 What is nationality and how is it related to nation and citizenship?
 What does Philippine law say about Filipino nationality?
 How does the United Nations Organization resolve issues regarding the right to have a nationality?
 What is statelessness? What happens to a stateless person?

Nation, Nationality, and Citizenship

The line of distinction between the terms "nation" and "nationality" is quite thin. Most of the time, "nationality" and
"citizenship" are used interchangeably. However, it is important to note that these words do not mean the same thing
and actually pertain to different concepts.

Nation
A nation is a large aggregate of people united by common descent, history, culture, language, and economic life through
inhabiting a particular country or territory.

Example:
The United Kingdom is a country inhabited mainly by people of four nations: English, Irish, Scottish, and Welsh.

A nation emphasizes a particular group of people, and a country emphasizes the physical dimensions and boundaries of
a geographical area. On the other hand, a state is a self-governing legal and political entity.

Nationality
 It is a person’s instinctive membership to a specific nation or country.
 It can be acquired by an individual from the country where he or she was born ( jus soli).
 It can be acquired by an individual through his or her parents (jus sanguinis)
 An individual is a national of a particular country by birth. Nationality is acquired through inheritance from his or
her parents.
 People with the same nationality often share the same language, culture, territory, and in some cases, ancestry.
They share the same rights and are protected by the same laws.
Citizenship
 It is a person’s legal and political status in a city or state, which means that an individual has been registered with
the government in some country.
 An individual becomes a citizen of a country only when he or she is accepted into that country’s political
framework through legal terms.
Examples:
 An individual born in the Philippines has a Filipino nationality. He may, however, apply for citizenship in another
country, should he wish to (e.g. a Filipino national applying for citizenship in Mexico).
 Some people from European Union member countries may have European citizenships that are different from
their nationalities (e.g. an Italian national who is registered as a German citizen).
 No one will be able to change his nationality, but one can have a different citizenship.

Understanding Culture, Society and Politics Page 1

Content 1 Introduction to Understanding Culture, Society and Politics
Topic 6 Cultural Variations and Social Differences (Nationality)

Filipino Nationality
 The Philippine Nationality Law is based on the principles of jus sanguinis or "right of blood." Therefore,
anyone with a parent who is a citizen or national of the Republic of the Philippines can acquire Philippine
citizenship. This is the primary method of acquiring citizenship.
 For people born in the Philippines to non-Filipino parents, the Administrative Naturalization Law of 2000
(R.A. 9139) provides an avenue for administrative naturalization.

Issues Regarding Nationality and Statelessness

What are some issues concerning nationality and statelessness?

Right to a Nationality

 Every person has a right to a nationality.

 The right to a nationality is a fundamental human right. It is an individual’s right to acquire, change, or retain
his or her nationality. Thus, a country’s law cannot deprive a person the right to gain a nationality, in case he or
she loses it.

Statelessness

 People who do not have a nationality are considered as stateless people.

 According to Article 1 of the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons of the United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), "a stateless person is someone who is not considered as a national by
any State under the operation of its law."
 Most stateless people are considered "refugees," while others lose their nationalities due to war or conflict, or if
their country is annexed by another country and loses its sovereignty.

Case Study: Statelessness in Sabah

Most Filipinos living in Sabah, Malaysia are considered "stateless." Thus, they are not recognized as people with a
nationality. They do not belong to any country or nation.

Since Sabah is a contested territory between Malaysia and the Philippines, the people in Sabah experience problems in
securing their nationalities. Filipinos from nearby Sulu and Tawi-tawi, even those who are born in Sabah, are not
recognized by the Malaysian government as Malaysians. They are also denied of their Filipino nationality since they are
not properly registered in the Philippines. As a result, they do not enjoy the rights and privileges that citizens of either
country enjoy.

This concern is also true in areas and territories under war and conflict.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) handles all issues regarding refugees and stateless
people. The role of UNHCR is to identify stateless people and protect their rights, as well as prevent statelessness from
happening all over the world. They also aid stateless people in acquiring new citizenship in other countries.

Key Ideas:

 Nationality is the person’s automatic membership to a specific nation while citizenship is a person’s political
status in a city or state.
 No one will be able to change his or her nationality, but one can have a different citizenship.
 Every person has a right to a nationality because it is a fundamental human right.
 Statelessness is not having a nationality.
 The role of the UNHCR is to identify stateless people, protect their rights, prevent statelessness from happening
all over the world, and aid refugees in acquiring new citizenship in other countries.

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Content 1 Introduction to Understanding Culture, Society and Politics
Topic 6 Cultural Variations and Social Differences (Nationality)

Activity:
Do some research on the number of stateless people in the world, and list the reasons why they are considered stateless.
How do you think can other countries, like the Philippines, help them in their plight?

Points for Reflection:

 Why do you think a lot of Filipinos migrate to other countries and give up their Filipino citizenship? Look for a
 Do you think foreigners in the Philippines want to be a Filipino citizen? Why or why not? You can use social media
to look for respondents.

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