Digital citizenship and neoliberalization: governing digital citizens in Denmark

ABSTRACT

Digital citizenship is becoming increasingly normalized within advanced democratic states. As society and governmental institutions become reliant on digital technologies, citizens are expected to be and act digitally. This article examines the governance of digital citizens through a case study of digitalization efforts in Denmark. Drawing on multiple forms of data, the article showcases how digital citizens are governed through a combination of discursive, legal and institutional means. The article highlights the political, but also institutional work that goes into making citizens digital. Providing this case study, the article contributes to current critical perspectives on the digital citizen as a new political figure. It adds new insights into digital citizenship by connecting this figure to wider processes of neoliberalization and state restructuring, pushing for a more pronounced focus on governmental practices.

KEYWORDS:

• Digital citizenship
• digitalization
• politics
• Denmark
• governance

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Velux Fonden [Grant: 12823 (Data as Relation: Governance in the Age of Big Data)].