Democratisation and cultural institutions: an enquiry into the cultural contexts of democracy and development

Abstract eng:
The paper reports on current research under the project Democratisation in the PALOP countries. The project aims to bridge the macro dimension of extant analysis of democratisation procedures to the level of national case studies. These countries, former Portuguese colonies, have entered the age of self-determination and of nation- and statebuilding. Democratic transition or consolidation is in some of the cases under way. In the framework of democratisation studies, the paper discusses the role of culture and of cultural institutions in shaping new democracies and in paving the way for development and sustainability. The linkages between the economic, the cultural and the political dimensions are a specific target of the research. The paper thus addresses the potential role of local cultural institutions in triggering development processes. The literature points out the role of community based processes and of culturally sensitive approaches in creating roots for long lasting development. The preliminary layout of a comparative case studies strategy is sketched, in order to guide forthcoming empirical research.

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