Concept of Citizenship from the Viewpoint of University Students in the Saudi Society

A field study on the Students of Al Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University

Abstract

This study aims at defining the concept of citizenship from the point of view of university students in the Saudi society and identifying the rights and duties of the Saudi university youths as citizens based on their conception of citizenship. This study belongs to analytical descriptive studies, employing the social survey approach for all male full-time students in level seven of the bachelor's degree for the second semester of the academic year 1438-1439 AH in all departments of the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Al Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic.  The total number of the population was (240) students and a questionnaire was used as the only instrument of the study.

Among the most important results of this study is the awareness of the population of the study, the university students, of the concept of citizenship. They emphasized that citizenship includes defending the homeland and engagement in national concerns and crises. It also concluded that there is a consensus of the study population on their rights as citizens, which include jobs and health care.  As for their duties; the most important of which include defending the homeland, protection of land, respecting others rights, and showing loyalty and political belonging to the community.