Is Citizenship in Australia Simply an Individual's Legal Status Essay

Is Citizenship in Australia Simply an Individual's Legal Status - Essay Example The study will examine the benefits and awards that accompany being an outstanding Australian citizen. Precisely, the study seeks to explore the fact that citizenship is not just a legal status since there is more to it. Citizenship in Australia can be regarded as a legal status in a number of ways. Australian citizenship came into being 26 January 1949 under the Nationality and Citizenship Act of 1948. Before the act, Australian citizens used to be British subjects; they shared a nationality code similar to that in Britain. One of the ways through which a person can become an Australian citizen includes citizenship by birth. In this case, a person becomes an Australian citizen if born before 20 August 1986 or when a person was born after that date, but one of the parents held Australian citizenship (Davis, 1996, p. 76). Legally, a person can also be considered an Australian citizen if born overseas and one of the parents held citizenship of Australia at the time of birth. Moreover, people are eligible to become Australian citizens if they were British subjects residing in Australia for 5years before 26 January 1949. Apart from the fact that Citizenship in Australia is a legal status, it can also be considered a privilege which offers numerous rewards. ... The Young Achievers Award has some objectives which include acknowledging and highlighting the achievements of young persons in Australia. The award also strives to use examples of youth achievement with the ultimate aim of educating the general public. Moreover, the award aims at motivating and encouraging young Australians at all levels in their respective fields (Maton, 1995, p. 41). In a way, the Young Achievers Award helps the young citizens to develop some pride in being citizens of Australia. As a result of the award, Young Australians have the opportunity to build self-confidence, since the rewards enhance excellence. Young citizens receive this award as a way of providing mentors and role models for youth by noticing the pursuit of excellence and the achievements of young people. Moreover, the Young Australians Award has an objective of priding good citizens by encouraging and developing life skills and leadership skills among the youth (Dutton, 2002, p. 17). Another popular award given to Australian citizens includes the Regional Achievements and Community Awards. The award is common in areas of Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, and Western Australia. Citizens in these regions seek this award with a lot of determination. The award aims at encouraging and paying tribute to individuals, groups, businesses, and communities who make significant contributions to the rural and regional areas. Therefore, the award aims at encouraging those people working in rural areas with an aim of enhancing and supporting commercial, economic, social, and environmental prosperity. This award plays a significant role in recognizing citizens who work extremely hard to develop their respective fields and the