The 4 differences between cultural democratization and cultural democracy

It is well known that all human beings have duties and rights under equal conditions; the right to decent housing, the right to feed ourselves daily, and in general terms, we have the right to lead a decent life.

Within this range of rights is also that of education and the possibility of accessing the cultural assets of the society in which we live. In this article We are going to know the differences between cultural democratization and cultural democracy, terms that lend themselves to a lot of confusion and of which it is important to have a clear notion.

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What is cultural democracy?

Cultural democracy refers to the idea that men and women are cultural entities that must be formed according to autonomously and freely, we motivate by your particular interests regarding the cultural issues that exist in your inside.

In this way, taking into account the above, we can already get an idea of ​​how the differences between cultural democratization and cultural democracy are outlined; cultural democracy emphasizes the need to

allow the individual himself to participate in cultural life without imposed limitations.

In this order of ideas, when we talk about the existence of cultural democracy, we are referring to the fact that it is clearly the individuals themselves. who are motivated to know certain cultural aspects, without the need for an external direction or governmental impositions or business. Strategic plans are not needed for people to become culturally involved in activities programmed by the state or by some other social group that promotes them. Incentives to make the population participate in cultural activities can be seen as a form of manipulation or bias that discriminates against certain cultural expressions to give voice to others.

Although it does not hurt that there are various cultural alternatives available to the population, Ideally, it is the subject himself who freely decides which ones he prefers to participate in., without having any type of external pressure that leads him to get involved in any activity of this type.

What is cultural democratization?

This position is the most common and widespread at the level of the masses. From this perspective, it is believed that the greater the cultural diffusion from the point of view of public projection and support institutional, the greater will also be the incursion of the population into cultural activities born from the intellectual sensitivity of the elite.

There is the idea that there can only be the maximum cultural development as long as the population has the possibility of freely accessing the elitist culture, and through the implementation of a sophisticated advertising and communication machinery, as well as from the economic support that enables the dissemination of this culture. For some sectors of the population this idea is somewhat invasive.

Cultural democratization is perceived by some as a form of manipulation, which pursues particular interests, which go beyond the very end of bringing culture (that of the elite) to the masses. From some sectors, this method is seen as misleading advertising, which prevents people from freely choose the activities and forms of expression in which they prefer to participate.

In this sense, people go from being an active and participatory part of culture by their own means, to being a kind of spectators, who They will only participate in the "elitist" cultural activities that the system offers them through the advertising that it implements for some of these movements.

In short, the democratization of culture proposes to be a kind of guide towards an "ideal culture", which is planned by the state or by any other private entity that proposes it; which leads to a passive participation on the part of the community, since it is not the citizens who decide freely.

Active participation can only occur when there is cultural democracy, where the subject is solely responsible for their choices and makes them from his own personal motivation, without any incentive or suggestion from agents external.

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Differences between democracy and democratization in culture

Now we are going to see a list with the differences between democratization in culture and cultural democracy.

1. The model

On the one hand, the model of cultural democratization promotes the dissemination of culture through propaganda and mass dissemination instruments, while cultural democracy invites people to freely participate in activities depending on their particular interests in culture.

2. The way of understanding culture

Cultural democratization understands it as a collective good that by default it is not available to everyone and that you have to get it through some sophisticated methods. On the other hand, cultural democracy understands that culture is rather a personal and spontaneous process, which is built from daily coexistence.

3. The origin of culture

In cultural democratization the origin of this comes from the officialIn other words, it is prepared according to the criteria of public employees who are dedicated to creating cultural strategies for the people. On the other hand, in cultural democracy it is the subject himself who decides in which activities he participates according to his motivation.

4. The citizen participation proposal

As far as the democratization of culture is concerned, people participate as a kind of audience-spectator; they are subject to other people's decisions about what kind of content to experience.

Instead, in cultural democracy, each person is an actor-participant in their own cultural experience, there is no dependence of any kind on the content in which the citizen wishes to participate.

Bibliographic references:

• Gombrich, E. h. (2004): Brief history of culture. Peninsula. Barcelona.
• Hoult, T.F., ed. (1969): Dictionary of Modern Sociology. Totowa: Littlefield, Adams & Co.