Conceptualizing Greek cultural policy: the non‐democratization of public culture

Abstract

This paper concentrates on several of the most significant moments of Greek cultural policy since World War II, together with its key concepts. It traces the cultural policy of the country, its main changes and its relationship with politics through a socio‐cultural analysis and a look at the political and cultural events which occurred. The concepts of national identity, hegemony, civilizing mission, democratization, and cultural democracy are applicable in this framework. Despite various attempts at reforms, the country's cultural policy could be characterized as ‘path dependent’; it connected unwaveringly to its two main objectives: heritage and the arts.

Keywords:

• national identity
• hegemony
• democratization
• cultural democracy
• cultural policy
• cultural politics

Notes

1. This paper uses four distinct concepts regarding the relation between culture and democracy: enlightenment as a general discourse of top‐down approach; civilizing mission as an operational concept embedding symbolic colonial discourse and practice inside a society, as an internal top‐down process; democratization as the policy of diffusion of high culture to the citizenry together with educational programs promoting an ‘ascending civilized cultural level of the people’; and cultural democracy as the result of the acceptance of diversity, plurality and equal opportunities in an environment where State intervention attempts to marginalize cultural inequities and discrimination, deconstructing the boundaries between elitism and popular culture. For various discourses based on these concepts see Elias (1939); Mercer (2002); Bennett et al. (2005); Kangas (2006); Mennell (2006); Vestheim (2007).

2. Specifically, World War II and the Resistance to fascism (1940–1944), the Civil War (1946–1949), then a period of parliamentary governance (1950–1966). But even this last was not smooth, as it had the clear stamp of political tension and was characterized by severe social and political clashes, rigged elections and the arbitrary intervention of the King in the democratic institutions. To this must be added the impact of the pre‐war dictatorial regime of the 4th of August of Ioannis Metaxas (1936–1940), a period of martial law and censorship.

3. This national identity was called national‐mindedness (Εθνικοφροσύνη): nationalism mixed with loyalty to the ruling party and discrimination according to ideology and political beliefs. This identity had to be proved by a ‘Certificate of National‐Mindedness’ which was necessary for employment in the public sector and for entering higher education.

4. Metron Analysis, 2005. The cultural practices of the Greeks. Highlights, 19, 1–53.