Cultural Policies in Southeastern Europe and Management of Intercultural Relations

Nada vob-oki

Institute for International Relations, Zagreb, Croatia

Public policies
Organization, regulation and development of different specialized activities, especially those of general social significance Sector approaches and specialization (education, media, scientific policies, etc.) Analysis and assessment of the objectives, programs, plans, modes of decision-making, legal regulation, implementation of plans, institutionalization of an activity, etc. Continual monitoring of developments within an activity Insights and conclusions as a base of democratic involvement of the general public Evaluation

Cultural policies
Cultural policy always implies the management of populations through suggested behavior (14) Cultural policy finds, serves and nurtures a sense of belonging, through educational and other cultural regimens that are predicated on an insufficiency of the individual against the benevolent historical backdrop of the sovereign state. These regimens are the means of forming a collective public subjectivity, via what John Stuart Mill termed departments of human interests amenable to government control. (15)

Cultural policies culture is the legitimizing ground on which particular groups can make a claim for resources and inclusion in the national narrative, if only to decenter it. (15)

(Toby Miler and George Yudice, Cultural Policy, Sage, London &Thousand Oaks, New Delhi, 2002)

Scope of cultural policies State level

Legal regulations Financement Infrastructure, etc.

Local levels Civil society

Scope of cultural policies Agents

State level:
Ministries, councils, commissions, etc.

Local levels:
Districts, regions, cities

All levels:
Civil society organizations Professional organizations Consultants, etc.

Scope of cultural policies Areas/sectors

Fine Arts Music Theatre Film Publishing, etc. Arts education Labor market / employment Culture industries

Scope of cultural policies

Cultural relations
Internal cultural relations (ethnicities, minorities, cultural interaction) Inner cultural differences (regions, class/social differences, technological gaps, etc.) External cultural relations (international cultural cooperation) Cultural globalization

Cultural policies and strategies in the Southeastern European countries

New Experience: Cultural policies have been developed in the late 1970'es and 1980'es, within the frameworks of ideological hegemony that particularly stressed equality of nations and national minorities, by denying differences as much as possible, and by promoting specificities as the key element of authenticity.

Constructivist Tendency: The aim of the socialist cultural policies was cultural change and the creation of a new (integrative) culture and a new (harmonic) man.
Occasional revival of primordial tendencies (ethnicities, religions) The conceptual disintegration still marks the period of transition. Cultural policies are fully oriented to the identity issues and change of identities and they face the issue of cultural diversification as a dominant challenge.

Cultural policies and strategies in the Southeastern European countries

Lack of a general intellectual concept and knowledge of neighboring cultures Interest concentrated on local levels of diversification (ethnic, national, but also gender, class, etc.) and on integration in the mainstream European cultural trends Mythical originality of the national and ethnic values resurges again whenever the observance of the western type standards endangers cultural monopoles functioning on local levels

Cultural policies and strategies in the Southeastern European countries

Southeastern European countries have developed the present cultural policies (and strategies) in the period of 1997-2003 within the European Program of National Cultural Policy Reviews, launched by the Council of Europe. The methodologies have been designed and harmonized as part of this program. When applied, they displayed different approaches of particular countries to their cultural life and development. Although included as part of each cultural policy, the treatment of cultural diversity was also de-standardized and in many cases a-typical compared with the EU proclaimed standards. De-standardization is often regarded as a source of originality and authenticity.

Mapping multicultural societies in Southeastern Europe

http:// www.culturalpolicy.net

all Southeastern European countries are multicultural increased harmonization of relationships among different cultures could be primarily based on the clearly defined national and individual identities overlapping identities are a reality in the region dynamics of identity change should be rationalized and future oriented multiculturalism has to be accepted as a fact, as a result of the restructured identities and as a new cultural situation

Cultural policies as a response to multiculturalism

Marginalization of multiculturalism (e.g., Albania): there are no specific language, educational or media policies that would provide for particular efforts to approach minorities through cultural policies. Over-politization of multicultural reality (e.g., Serbia and Monte Negro): political problems exclude acceptance of multiculturalism Split model (e.g., Slovenia): minorities having the status of traditional minorities (e.g., Italians, Hungarians) enjoy the legal, educational, media, cultural and all other specific minority treatment. The new minorities (Croats, Bosnians, Serbs, etc.) are not recognized as minorities. Those meeting the legal state provisions may apply for Slovenian citizenship and become full citizens of Slovenia.

Models in the making (e.g., Croatia, Romania): dynamic changes in the treatment of minorities; strong influences of the EU.
Formal acceptance of the EU standards (e.g., Bulgaria, Greece): demonstrated willingness to accept the proclaimed EU standards, problems in implementation of the minority policies.