Society and Culture: Cultural Policies Driven by Local Authorities as A Factor in Local Development—The Example of the Municipality of Xanthi-Greece

Grammatiki (Emmy) Papazoglou

doi:10.3390/heritage2030161

Abstract

This research article examines cultural policies designed by local government authorities and their impact on social and regional development in the municipality of Xanthi, Thrace. It also analyzes and examines the cultural activities implemented by the Greek municipalities. In particular, it reflects upon events, changes, and concerns that involve cultural affairs, and evaluates their socioeconomic, political, spatial, and regional dimensions. Considering that the locality is part of the totality, the process of achieving cultural development in Xanthi is particularly interesting, as it is fundamental to the entire Greek cultural image. The regional element of the area can be also identified as national. Consequently, local cultural development becomes an essential part of national development. This study could trigger a fertile and constructive process of reflection on the role of local cultural policy in further achieving social and economic development. The issues raised by the research contribute to scientific research and dialogue and highlight the role of municipalities as active cultural assets with distinct cultural identities in the context of a Europe of Regions.

Highlights

Considering that “culture” is a term that is difficult to define, in 1952, Kroeber and Kluckhohn critically reviewed concepts and definitions of culture, and collected 164 different definitions of culture, and the number has been increasing ever since [1]
This paper explores the process of cultural development at the local level using as a case study the municipality of Xanthi
This research paper focused on the role of local authorities in achieving cultural development

Summary

Introduction

Considering that “culture” is a term that is difficult to define, in 1952, Kroeber and Kluckhohn critically reviewed concepts and definitions of culture, and collected 164 different definitions of culture, and the number has been increasing ever since [1]. As culture relates to different forms of human life, it confers identity, meaning, worth, aspirations and a sense of place. It comprises relationships between individuals, groups, ideas and perspectives. “Cultural development” denotes cultural life as it evolves compared to other forms of development. The objective in this case is the level of cultural development and the attempt to measure it by means of indicators. The term is especially ambiguous, because both words are ambiguous It is given a positive color by its combination of individual and social development with the direct, quantitative evolution that scientific and economic development implies

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Conclusion