Citizenship in everyday life: stories of people with intellectual disabilities in Norway

Citizenship is rooted in the ideas of democratic and equal rights, participation, and inclusion for all members of society. This article, based on a participatory study, applying research circle inspired method, examines citizenship in the stories of everyday life of people with intellectual disabilities. Drawing on a rights-based and relational perspective on citizenship, a narrative analytical approach was applied to explore resources for and barriers to citizenship as expressed and embedded in the participants' stories. The findings reveal how the participants navigated their citizenship with regards to making new friends, finding employment, relating to staff, and coping with mental health challenges in their everyday life.