In the introduction to her book Cultivating Humanity, philosopher Marta C. Nussbaum defines citizenship as loyalty not just to one’s own nation or “group,” but to “human beings the world over” (Nussbaum 9). True citizens think of themselves as part of a global humankind rather than any single government or identity. This worldwide citizenship precipitates “humanity,” a quality that encourages individuals to “recognize the worth of human life wherever it occurs” across cultural as well as physical boundaries (9). Nussbaum employs these concepts of citizenship and humanity to defend modern higher education. She contends that colleges and universities “produce adults who can function as citizens not just of some local region or group, but also […] as citizens of a complex interlocking world” (6). Thus education is necessary to cultivate citizenship, which in turn enables students to “respect the humanity and diversity of others,” or rather, to cultivate humanity in themselves (300). Nussbaum implies that higher education is crucial because it teaches students how to be citizens, and—through citizenship—how to be human.
Anna Deavere Smith’s documentary Notes from the Field parallels Nussbaum’s definition of citizenship vis-à-vis its focus on the connection between citizenship and education. In Notes, Smith interviews Denise Dobson, who is incarcerated for life in the Maryland Correctional Institution for Women. Smith, embodying Dobson, defines citizenship by its requirements: “to pave the way for those coming behind us. To make better living arrangements for everybody as a whole. ‘Cause in the end, it’s about living and it’s about living properly and it’s about rearing your children properly, so that they can be productive” (Smith 00:55:00). Dobson explains that her participation in the Goucher Prison Education Partnership allowed her to develop this definition of citizenship, illustrating Nussbaum’s point that education makes citizenship possible (00:49:00). Without education, Dobson would not understand the requirements of citizenship, nor its ultimate purpose: to enable people to live well.
