Democratic Culture Research Articles

Attracting new audiences to high culture: an analysis of live broadcasted performing arts at cinema theaters

The aim of this paper is to analyze the potential contribution of broadcasting live performing arts in movie theaters to the democratization of high culture. To accomplish this, we analyze the profile of attendees to these events to explore whether this new form of cultural consumption can attract individuals who do not normally attend live performances, thereby renewing high-brow audiences. Using data from the Spanish Survey of Cultural Habits and Practices in Spain (2018–2019), we find that individuals who frequently attend movies are more likely to attend live opera broadcasts in movie theaters, even those who do not consume live opera or even do not listen to opera at all. This is a positive insight suggesting that this initiative may be successful to engage new audiences to high culture.

The Global Jukebox and the Celestial Monochord: Alan Lomax and Harry Smith Compute Folk Music in Cold War America

AbstractTypically understood only within the cultural history of the post–World War II folk music revival, documentarian Alan Lomax's “Cantometrics” research and artist Harry Smith's Folkways Anthology of American Music also deserve to be positioned within the broader Cold War–era rise of the digital computer and tactics of computation in American society. Linking what Ross Cole describes as the “folkloric imagination” to what we might call the Cold War “computational imagination,” Lomax and Smith each examined folk music not through conventional ethnographic or musicological modes, but rather through computational lenses of data analysis, systems theory, informatics, and cybernetics. Both sought to expand cultural democracy by doing so, carrying Popular Front ideals into the postwar milieu while also presaging dilemmas found in today's fraught context of data analytics, artificial intelligence, and the application of digital technologies to almost all aspects of human culture.

The Social Circus in the Construction of Citizenship. A study from Citizenship Competencies for A Democratic Culture

This research aims to investigate the role of the Social Circus in the construction of citizenship through the learning and practice of citizenship competencies. The Social Circus provides a platform for learning circus and creating spaces for collective creation to promote personal, group and community empowerment to improve the quality of life of the participants and the society that surrounds them. Previous research has focused on the Social Circus’ personal and group workspace, but there’s still little literature on the construction of community and citizenship. This research studies the qualitative component in more depth, using a case analysis approach and The Reference Framework of Competencies for Democratic Culture developed by the Council of Europe (2018). To achieve so, two projects that use the concept of Social Circus and have a community perspective have been selected. Semi-structured interviews, group discussion and data analysis were used for the selection process. The results indicate that the Social Circus is an ideal setting to learn and practice citizenship competencies for a Democratic Culture during class, in the preparation of the show or final exhibition and/or in the community spaces related to the project.

OpenMind Handbook. A System of Design Tools and Processes to Empower Democracy Culture in Primary Schools

In this historical moment, the controversial reorganisation of the Italian education system is raising the necessity to reflect on the responsibility of education in defining more resilient societies. Primary schools are the first place where children can actively experience the dynamics of democratic coexistence, developing their relationship with society through a process of long-term encounters. Nowadays, students not only need to acquire basic skills but, above all, to address emerging social issues through education in terms of democratic culture, equality, sharing and collaboration. The research investigated how Service Design can activate participatory processes that can foster the co-creation of educational experiences aimed at raising awareness of social coexistence and democratic participation. OpenMind Handbook is a project that facilitates the implementation of new educational experiences and increases social relationships, enabling the involvement of the educational community within a long-term action process.

Visualization of Hot Topics and Global Trends in Community Librarianship (With an Emphasis on the Role of Public Libraries)

ABSTRACT The general subject trends and emphasized points of Community Librarianship (CL) researches are not clear. According to reviewed papers, CL encompasses a wide range of social issues. This dispersion and diversity require presenting a comprehensive map of the thematic trends. The present study showed the concept of “social capital” is the underlying base for the literature of CL, which is the outcome of dialogue and interactive space of libraries. Also, historically, the related publications can be classified into five categories: 1) promoting the democratic culture and training informed and participating citizens 2) improving e-government; 3) library as a place for creating social capital; 4) sharing consumer health information; and 5) natural crises and disasters. The results of this study can show and reflect the “common good” of public libraries, that can effectively provide insight for librarians, attract policymakers’ support, and maintain the position and future of these libraries.

공공미술을 둘러싼 공동체의 담론

The purpose of this paper is to show that the controversial discourse over the existence of Richard Serra's public art works, “Lifted Arc”, over the past seven years, had a profound influence on the changes in public art. Public art was divided into location and aesthetic aspects, and the cause of the failure of “Lifted Arc” was found in each of them. The cause of the locational aspect is related to the understanding of “public”, where the place of life and the physical place intersect, and the aesthetic aspect is due to the conflict between the artist's free expression and public taste. When pursuing a desirable form of public art through the above, first, publicity is not limited to physical places, but is made up of the participation and intervention of people living there, and second, the aesthetic achievement of public art can be obtained from the discourse of interaction rather than from the aesthetic experience itself. This public art as a “discussion venue” symbolizes cultural democracy that guarantees freedom and equality in that art creates a place for the pursuit of meaning.

The role of valuing cultural diversity in children's endorsements of rights

AbstractSupport for children's rights is greater among children raised in democratic environments. The present two studies examined children's endorsements and predictors of children's rights. Five democratic competences taken from the Council of Europe's Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture served as predictors. We tested the models in a sample of children raised in five European countries and a sample raised in an African country, seeking to extend our model beyond the Global North. In Study 1, we found four of these five competences, namely, higher valuing of cultural diversity, civic‐mindedness, cultural openness and empathy significantly predicted higher endorsements of rights in children from Bulgaria, Italy, Norway, Romania and Spain (7–11‐year‐olds; N = 292). In Study 2, we found higher valuing of cultural diversity significantly predicted higher endorsements of rights in Nigerian children (7–14‐year‐olds; N = 84). Supporting Social Cognitive Domain Theory, children in both studies endorsed nurturance rights more than self‐determination rights. Inclusion of children from the Global North and South enabled us to determine whether patterns of rights endorsements were similar for children from both samples. Overall, this research presents novel findings on the salience of valuing cultural diversity in support for children's rights.

Democratic Despotism, Democratic Culture, and the Democratic Ideal

Abstract In this paper, I outline Du Bois’s WWI-era theory of democracy, which comprises three parts: first, an historically specific explanation of the racially exclusionist character of the modern struggle for democracy; second, a justification of universal suffrage; and third, an account of democratic culture, the promotion of which he believed was necessary to supplement the enfranchisement of black people where white supremacy still threated the achievement of justice.

초등학교 교실에서 실행한 교육과정으로 본 학생 존중의 의미

Objectives In this study, the meaning of respect for students was explored based on the principle of respect for dignity among democratic principles, targeting curriculum implemented in an elementary school classroom.
 Methods To this end, the 5th grade Na-rae class case (Let’s go to where I lived) of D elementary school was de-scribed as a curriculum implemented in the classroom, and a case study research was conducted based on Beane’s democratic principle of respect for dignity.
 Results As a result, three meanings of respecting students in the process of implementing the curriculum in the classroom. First, it means that students can have a voice and influence over the curriculum during the process of implementing it in the classroom. Second, It means that teachers and students collaborate to decide on curriculum topics, contents, and evaluation methods. Third, it means that students self-evaluate their own learning activities.
 Conclusions This meaning of respecting students in the curriculum implemented in elementary school class-rooms is ultimately meaningful in that it can contribute to viewing students as agents of curriculum development in the classroom, thinking of participation as intervening in the curriculum beyond engaging class, creating a classroom democratic culture.

The motivating effect of monetary over psychological incentives is stronger in WEIRD cultures

Motivating effortful behaviour is a problem employers, governments and nonprofits face globally. However, most studies on motivation are done in Western, educated, industrialized, rich and democratic (WEIRD) cultures. We compared how hard people in six countries worked in response to monetary incentives versus psychological motivators, such as competing with or helping others. The advantage money had over psychological interventions was larger in the United States and the United Kingdom than in China, India, Mexico and South Africa (N = 8,133). In our last study, we randomly assigned cultural frames through language in bilingual Facebook users in India (N = 2,065). Money increased effort over a psychological treatment by 27% in Hindi and 52% in English. These findings contradict the standard economic intuition that people from poorer countries should be more driven by money. Instead, they suggest that the market mentality of exchanging time and effort for material benefits is most prominent in WEIRD cultures.

The Right to Enjoy Cultural Assets

The right to cultural enjoyment holds great importance within the framework of open, plural and democratic societies. As is generally agreed, even though the state not only guarantees but also encourages access to cultural goods and cultural heritage, it is not positioned to condition this enjoyment through adopting aesthetic, philosophical or ideological guidelines. Such has often been ignored in the past, especially during the Classical and Enlightenments periods as well as blatantly under the dictatorships that prevailed in parts of the 20th century, for example the National Socialist labelling of degenerate art. However, should democracy, even cultural democratization, prevent the conditioning of any aesthetic, philosophical or ideological nature, it is no less true that the right to cultural enjoyment, protected by public policies, is never limited to guaranteeing access to cultural heritage. It implies providing and raising the conditions for better and more appropriate cultural enjoyment. Furthermore, there is a dynamic aspect to the aforementioned cultural valorization that fosters interventions aimed at qualifying and avoiding degradation as well as those dimensions designed to involve civil society, for example patronage, cooperation and exchange.

СЕКСУАЛЬНІ ДОМАГАННЯ НА РОБОТІ: АКТУАЛЬНІСТЬ І ІНСТИТУЦІЙНІ ЗАХОДИ РЕАГУВАННЯ (за результатами емпіричного дослідження)

Background . Relevance. The phenomenon of sexual harassment has been recognized globally as a significant social problem that requires a comprehensive solution (Gallup, 2022). Different countries are implementing measures for counteracting and minimizing the negative consequences of this phenomenon. That indicates an active response to modern challenges in the context of protecting individual rights and freedoms. In the course of global efforts to alleviate sexual harassment, Ukraine is incorporating international experience and adapting most efficient legal, social and educational frameworks, thus demonstrating national strategies towards creating a safe and just society. Notwithstanding the fact that sexual harassment rather frequently occurs in the professional environment, there is a significant lack of publicity about such incidents. An analysis of previous studies (Martsenyuk, 2008) and legal acts related to sexual harassment (Fedkovych et al., 2006) indicates that there are neither unified approach to defining sexual harassment at work, nor clear legal mechanisms of sufferers' protection. We also can observe deficiency of precise research methods on subject. It becomes crucial to gain knowledge about the prevailing types of violence and harassment in the workplace, and to identify the groups of people most at risk and analyze the reasons for their vulnerability. The purpose of this article is to analyze the experience of individuals who have faced sexual harassment in the professional environment, to assess the availability and effectiveness of institutional mechanisms for responding to such incidents in organizations and by government agencies. Methods . To achieve the goal, the authors initiated online survey in August – September 2023 with the participation of the Sociological Center "Pulse", the NGO "Culture of Democracy" in cooperation with the "Coalition 1325. Odesa Region" with the support of the Ukrainian Women's Fund. The participants of the survey represented healthcare, education, state and local administrations, police, law enforcement agencies, military personnel, etc. In order to form a corpus of responses were used the methods of selecting "typical representatives"; in case to avoid the pre-notion in the survey an anonymous online format was chosen. The survey was conducted using the "river sampling" technique. The questionnaire was filled out only by those who wanted to share their experiences. Results . The results of the survey provide an initial idea of the relevance of the problem of sexual harassment and the main forms of harassment at work, the importance of alleviation of the phenomenon at legislative level, as well as an idea of organizations (institutions) could play a leading role in deterioration of sexual harassment at work. The data obtained provide an opportunity for practical application of the research findings, contribute to the development and implementation of effective strategies to preventing sexual harassment in various areas of professional activity. The expected results of this study are: raising the awareness of the nature of sexual harassment at work identifying for future research's areas. Сonclusions . The study was an important step in identifying and discussing the problem of sexual harassment at work, indicating the need for further measures to deal with the problem. The conclusions could be as an important step in the development of more effective gender policies and public governance aimed at combating sexual harassment in the workplace.

Learning and democratic culture in school: a theoretical and methodological approach

RESUMEN Este artículo examina el aprendizaje de la democracia y las dimensiones necesarias para promover una cultura democrática en la escuela. Para alcanzar este propósito se utilizó el método crítico-hermenéutico. A partir del estudio de la literatura especializada sobre pedagogía de la democracia, didáctica política, estudios sobre ciudadanía y la cultura escolar, se caracterizan las contribuciones teóricas y metodológicas con relación al aprendizaje de la democracia. Los principales resultados son: El aprendizaje de la democracia es la adquisición de capacidades y habilidades cognitivas, emocionales, sociales y éticas, a través del cual los estudiantes pueden comprender el orden democrático y activa su disposición a participar en la vida social y escolar. La cultura democrática en la escuela requiere para su promoción de cuatro dimensiones, que se complementan entre sí, ellas son: la dimensión axiológica y ética, la dimensión institucional, la dimensión curricular, metodológica y didáctica y la dimensión de las interacciones.

Democratic Culture and Democratic Shocks: The Limits of Constitutional Cycles

Democratic Culture and Democratic Shocks: The Limits of Constitutional Cycles

Social trust of youth in the shadow of the depopulation process

The article analyses selected results of an extensive study conducted as part of the ProEdUMW project − Scientific research in the service of local educational policy implemented in Ostrołęka by the Faculty of Education at the University of Warsaw. Two quantitative studies, conducted using the survey technique as part of the Ostrołęka educational observatory projects (covering the issues of teaching effectiveness, developing students’; social competences and equal educational opportunities in public primary schools in the city) and Democracy is OK! (strengthening the democratic culture of the school) were implemented in the 2021/22 school year. The first study was conducted in the eighth grades of all public primary schools in Ostrołęka, the second among students of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th grades of public secondary schools. The aim of the analyses of selected research problems was to acquire knowledge covering important issues for a city at risk of marginalisation and depopulation, such as: the attitude of young people to the city, their life plans, students’ trust in the institutions of the city and the state. Regardless of the positive attitude towards the city in which they study, young people do not plan to live there and leave it with very low levels of social capital. The aim of the entire ProEdUMW project was to support local educational policy, so the article ends with recommendations for school culture and practice that could help build young people’s social trust.

Pendidikan Politik Santri Dipondok Pesantren Jabal Rahmah Anau Kadok Talang

This research is motivated by the importance of political education among students (santri) of the Jabal Rahmah Anau Kadok Talang Islamic Boarding School. The aim of political education at this boarding school is to shape the character of the students, enabling them to become citizens with ethical and polite political behavior, as well as a deep understanding of political issues. Although there is no specific curriculum for teaching political education, it is integrated through subjects such as Civic Education (PPKN), the activities of the Student Executive Board (BES), discussions, democratic culture practices, and the study of the Prophet's biography (Siroh Nabawiyah). This research employs a qualitative approach, collecting data through in-depth interviews. The objective is to analyze how political education at the Jabal Rahmah Islamic Boarding School shapes the political perspectives and thought patterns of the students, as well as the role of the school leaders in forming the students' political understanding. The research findings indicate that political education at this boarding school focuses on knowledge transfer, consciousness-raising, political identity, and organizational skills development. Through democratic spaces within the Student Council (OSIS) and lectures, the students acquire an understanding of positive political values. The students are also engaged in organizational activities that allow them to develop leadership skills. The political education at this boarding school successfully shapes good behavior, teaches ethical and wise political conduct, and equips the students to respond to political issues. The conclusion drawn from this research is that political education at the Jabal Rahmah Islamic Boarding School effectively molds the character and political understanding of the students. By employing an approach that involves various aspects of knowledge, orientation, behavior, and political action, the political education at this boarding school is capable of producing students who are aware of their rights and responsibilities as citizens, possess political ethics, and can approach political issues wisely. This research provides fresh insights into how political education can shape the character and political perspectives of students, and have an impact on their involvement in political and social life in Indonesia..

Penguatan Pemolisian Demokratis dalam Perspektif Pendidikan Kewarganegaraan: Sebuah Analisis Konseptual

One effort to strengthen the idea of democratic policing is through civic education. This research has the main aim of analyzing the conceptual aspects contained in civic education in order to provide strengthening ideas for democratic policing. This research also attempts to outline the challenges of democratic policing as viewed from the perspective of civic education in Indonesia. This article uses Gary Goertz's three-level conceptual analysis framework to dissect the conceptual dimensions in civic education that are useful for strengthening democratic policing. Qualitatively, data was obtained using literature studies from various books, journal articles, report documents, and other literature. This study shows that civic education, which is integrated with democracy, politics, law, human rights, anti-corruption, and peace education, can be a vehicle for conceptually strengthening the idea of democratic policing. In addition, this study found a number of challenges for civic education in strengthening democratic policing efforts in Indonesia. The main challenges are the problems that occur in the police institution, including not yet fully supporting democratic culture and spaces for citizens, the issue of police neutrality in political life, the practice of violations of law and human rights by police officers, the existence of corrupt behavior, and the fact that the police has not yet fully become a humanist and non-violent institution. This study requires further research to see to what extent the implementation of the concept of civic education can strengthen democratic policing efforts that are oriented to the citizenship dimension.

Indigenous Language Endangerment as the Hearse of Democratic Culture among the Yoruba People of Nigeria

There is a proven intricate interconnectedness between language and culture. Most Yoruba political office holders demonstrate degrees of English language proficiency as evidence of English-medium Western education. It is thus logical to expect them to have become democratic in behavior. However, many that have held political posts in Nigeria have proved undemocratic. One then wonders how they successfully avoided being “infected” by the democratic values of Western cultures. One could logically conclude that a typical Yoruba politician is unable to learn democratic values from Western education because of the long history of the monarchical system of government. This paper, however, probed the existence of democratic values in Yoruba precolonial government. Data were obtained from 200 respondents through a mix of accidental and stratified sampling techniques. A four-item interview guide was administered to the respondents by the researcher. Among the findings is that the Yoruba language is replete with proverbs, aphorisms, and idioms capable of promoting democratic values. Comprehensive implementation of mother-tongue-based multilingual education up to the end of secondary school level is thus recommended for the preservation of the democratic values of their traditional cultures to facilitate adequate understanding of Western democratic literacy.

THE APPLICATION OF CROSS-CURRICULAR COMPETENCES IN THE TEACHING OF PHYSICAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION SUBJECTS IN THE CONTEXT OF EXTERNAL EVALUATION OF SCHOOLS

The aim of this work is to direct advocacy activities in the field of education for the application of the Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture (RFCDC) in teaching and extracurricular activities, especially in the subject of Physical and Health Education. The problem discussed in the paper is under-researched in literature worldwide, although it is relevant for all stakeholders involved in formal and informal education, including decision-makers, teachers, teacher education experts, and experts in the development of teaching and learning programmes. The authors opted to review materials and manuals in order to reflect on democratic competences and their application in the teaching of the subject Physical and Health Education, through the method of analysing the results of external evaluation. We expect this paper to be the basis for further professional and scientific analysis, so that the subject of Physical and Health Education may be given a role that makes it comprehensive and significant not only in the educational process but also in the process of educating children and students.

Revisiting the Turkish-Israeli alliance of the 1990s

ABSTRACT The Turkish-Israeli ‘honeymoon’ of the 1990s has been explained by different concepts such as alliance, strategic partnership, or cooperation and friendship, with these concepts often used interchangeably. As a corollary of the Turkish official narrative, which is based on a national security approach, certain explanations were offered in justification of the close relationship, including shared traditional democratic culture and secular character, as well as conducive international atmosphere. According to this construction, Turkey had no option but to align with Israel. On the other hand, while the ‘honeymoon’ was often seen as a foreign policy issue directly affected by the military bureaucracy, negative discourses against Israel in domestic politics, and institutional challenges in the Turkish state structure were often ignored. By way of filling this lacuna, the present article evaluates the impact of domestic factors, including the capital-owning class, lobbies, and institutional changes in the Turkish security apparatus on Turkish-Israeli relations.