Abstract Introduction 1. Strategic Vision of the Cultural Policy in Lithuania 2. Results of the Research Conclusions Bibliography

THE IMPACT OF CULTURE CENTER ACTIVITIES ON THE COMMUNITY LEISURE ORGANIZATION

Dalia Perkumienė
Kaunas University of Applied sciences, Lithuania

Danutė Kleinienė
Kaunas University of Applied sciences, Lithuania

Culture is a sphere revealing the human evolution. A human being cannot exist in an uncultured environment. Culture as an effective social power has always come under the spotlight. In specific areas of research the cultural status is mostly related to creative activities; however it may also be researched in the sphere of education, promotion and expression of sociality. One of the most important roles of community centers is developing social intellectuality of individuals. Culture centers are not formal centers of community education, but at an informal level they can fulfill their functions successfully. The activities of the culture centers are needed for communities.  The aim of the present article is to disclose the importance of culture centers as a venue of continuous education of the community members by analyzing how fully the culture centers realize their functions when implementing the goals put forward by the community. The research methods include the analysis of scientific literature and legal regulations, quantitative research method, statistical analysis of the data obtained, graphical modelling, detailing and generalization, as well as logical abstraction.  The results of the research allow to conclude that the activities of culture centers are not miscellaneous. Generally, such forms of cultural activities dominate which are related to music, theatre, singing and dancing. ‘Mature’ forms – meeting scientists or artists, artistic entertaining events, discussion clubs and events ranged according to the age groups, are missing. The spread of professional art in culture centers hardly comprises 30 percent which makes one think about the true potential of such centers. Cultural institutions should consider the balance between the people’s likes and their real current needs. Keywords: culture, ethnic culture, culture centre, continuous education, community.

Introduction

Culture includes material and spiritual values created by specific activities of a personality or social group. In the world’s history there exist some special codes revealing the ways and possibilities of human existence in the society. Tylor provided the most famous definition of culture as “the complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society” (Tylor, 1924 [orig. 1871]; Verhelst, 1990; Arnold, 1960). Cultural evolutionism is a theoretical approach that seeks to describe and explain long-term processes of culture change. To do this, it draws on all subfields.

Anthropologists most commonly use the term “culture” to refer to the universal human capacity to classify, codify and communicate their experiences symbolically. This capacity has long been taken as a defining feature of the genus Homo. However, primatologists such as Jane Goodall have identified aspects of culture among our closest ‘relatives’ in the animal kindgom (Goodall, 1986; Parsons, 1990).

Culture has been called “the way of life for an entire society.” As such, it includes codes of manners, dress, language, religion, rituals, norms of behaviour and systems of belief (Jary, 1991; Bauman, 2001).

Culture or civilization, taken in its wide ethnographic sense, is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society (Tylor, 1974). The cultural studies in Lithuania are still in a rudimentary phase (Samalavičius, 2003). The first works in the field of the cultural studies show that they have mostly used the definitions of the western culture which are being accepted a priori as good and reliable instruments for the analysis. Presumably, the scientists will need to look for more specific ideas suitable for the Lithuanian reality. There are such outstanding researchers of the Lithuanian culture as A. Tereskinas, A. Gaizutis, A. Andrijauskas, L. Donskis, A. Samalavicius, S. Juknevicius and others. Currently, the booming sphere of culture study should become the subject of culture researchers, as the culture itself (especially the popular one) in Lithuania has already become a powerful industry, thereby requiring special studies.

Thus, the goal of the research is to explore the impact of the culture center activities on the community leisure organization.

The object of the research are culture centers and their role in the community leisure organization.

The research methods include the analysis of scientific literature and legal regulations, quantitative research method, statistical analysis of the data obtained, graphical modelling, detalizing and generalization, as well as logical abstraction.

1. Strategic Vision of the Cultural Policy in Lithuania

We are often reminded that the EU does not regulate the national cultural policy. Culture falls under the competency of national governments. As a matter of fact, the EU is interested in cultural multiplicity of its member states and their cultural collaboration. Evidently, such a position of the EU also emphasizes the fact that nobody else will take care of our national culture. The government of the Republic of Lithuania is responsible for the national culture. The position of the Ministry of Culture pursues two goals – on the one hand, to implement a consistent national culture policy, and, on the other hand, to achieve that the membership in the EU would give as many additional opportunities as possible to develop the national culture (Dovydėnienė, 2003).

In the regulations of the policy of the Lithuanian culture it is indicated that there is the necessity “to promote culture autonomy in the regions, to promote and support relations of culture <...> institutions in the regions, to promote the amateur” (Lietuvos kultūros tyrinėjimai, 1995).

Several foreign researchers (Kozma, Fullan, Kotasek) note that in post-communist countries culture (as well as education) is playing only the second- or third rate role. And this is the position not only of governments, but also the society and mass media. There is a prevailing attitude that first comes economy and consolidation of the statehood, and only then – ecology, culture and education (Samalavičius, 1995).

Lithuanian culture centers have lots of pending matters to solve related to the material facilities, provision of cultural services, artistic training of youth and children, and the lack of qualified specialists. In some parts of the country there is an inefficient and unreasonable net of culture centers.

At the same time activities of culture centers are essential for the community. It shows that there is an increasing demand of amateur art. For example, people from the same culture centers are attending adult folk groups. Today the culture center is setting the task for itself – to promote the amateur art, to care about the vitality of its people, implementing a variety of forms – also cooperating with the folk artists, business people etc.

2. Results of the Research

The culture center of Kelmė Municipality and three subdivisions of it – the community culture centers of Janaučių, Šaltenių, Verpenos villages, were chosen as the research objects. Questionnaires were distributed during the events. The survey was carried out in September – November, 2012.

For the test sample formation Kazlų municipality population registry data were used about the population in different areas served by the Cultural Center and it departments. The cultural center of Kazlų Rūdos municipality serves about eight thousand inhabitants and its units – about 7 thousand inhabitants. 99 inhabitants took part in the study from Kazlų Rūda town. From Antanavas village with about 800 residents 22 participated in the survey; from Bagotoji rural population with 460 inhabitants 14 were surveyed; in Jures town with 480 residents 16 were interviewed; in Višakio Ruda with 180 residents 10 took part in the survey; in Plutiškės rural areas with 820 residents 24 responded, but from Budos there were 12 respondents. The total number of respondents was 197.

The study was conducted in two stages: the first stage embraced the cultural centers of service; the users' survey – questionnaires. The second – the cultural center staff; the survey – discussion, which was attended by 25 employees.

After the analysis of the empirical research data we can confirm that most active were respondents of the age 35 – 50, they composed 29,5 percent of all the respondents; 32,5 percent – persons of the elder age. 38 percent of the respondents was made of children up to 18. It confirms that culture centers should pay much more attention to the children and youth involvement in the artistic groups, offering various activities to meet their needs. So far in the culture centers children may participate only in the sport dance groups, wind orchestra, folk music choir and the youth singing studio.

The authors of the present article were also willing to explore if the services provided by the culture center and its subdivisions are necessary for the local inhabitants, and – what services are most popular and what are lacking. After the analysis of the respondents‘ answers to the question if they need the services that are provided by the culture center it can be affirmed that for most of the respondents these services are necessary (63, 5 percent); 27, 5 percent do not know or do not have any opinion about it, but the rest – 9 percent – do not need the culture center services.

When estimating the necessity of the services provided by culture centers, the difference between the city and village was negligible. As a result of the research we can confirm that the culture center services are necessary for the inhabitants of Kelmė municipality.

 Another question in the survey was if currently there are sufficient services provided by the culture centers and, if the services meet the needs of the inhabitants. The results of the survey are reflected in Fig. 1.

   

 

This figure highlights the real opinion of the inhabitants of Kelmė Municipality about the correspondence of the culture institutions net to the needs of the residents. Most of the respondents answered: “there are enough cultural institutions, but their services only partially meet the needs of the inhabitants” (37.5 percent). Therefore, it is essential to look for a larger variety of facilities. We believe that the material facilities of the cultural institutions should be strengthened, new information technologies should be installed, educational programs should be prepared involving the young generation in cultural activities. This can be done by searching for additional financing possibilities, recruiting communities and public movements near the cultural institutions. Only after the conceptualization of the tendencies and reasons of the ongoing changes it is possible to forecast the perspectives of these changes in the sphere of culture.

During the survey the authors of the article also studied the wishes of the respondents about the activities the culture center should propose, so that the leisure time of the inhabitants would become more interesting and meaningful. Distribution of the respondents‘answers can be seen in Table 1.

 

 

Most of the respondents (except the elder age) wish to have access to the internet. The respondents do not relate the culture center to learning a new job and the possibility to broaden the horizons – such answers were given by one or two respondents. Quite a few respondents want the cinema and hobby clubs.

The results of the survey show again that the culture center is essential to the local community as the venue of spending leisure time, the place of self–expression, initiatives, and cultural education. It is being visited and there is interest in its activities. However, there is still the need to search for more appealing ways of spending leisure time, finding measures how to attract more culture consumers, to engage them in the educational programs and a variety of events.

The conducted survey also explored the opinions of the inhabitants regarding the interrelation of the culture center and public initiatives and studied the impact the culture center has on the public initiatives.

The analysis of the survey data confirmed that the culture center is very important to the local communities regarding their leisure, continuous education, self – expression, initiatives and cultural education. 63.5 percent believe that the culture center is necessary; 27.5 percent do not know or have no opinion about it, and only 9 percent affirm that the culture center is unnecessary for them. As the respondents in the survey were those who are using the culture center services, we can confirm that most active are women composing 67 percent of the culture center visitors. Men are more passive; they are more observers than participants.

At the municipal level the culture center may realize its functions and tasks, it can enhance the vitality of the local community, promote its initiatives and contribute to the cultural education.

Conclusions

1. One of the most important roles of community centers is developing social intellectuality of individuals. The culture centers are not formal centers of communities, but at an informal level they may fulfill their functions. The activities of the culture center are necessary for the community.
2. The lack of the collaboration among the regions also impacts their cultural institutions; it hinders joint cultural activities. Professional art becomes hardly available due to the low financial potential of the peripheral area inhabitants; and their majority are still unprepared for that in culture centers.
3. The activity of culture centers is not miscellaneous. Generally, such forms of cultural activities prevail which are related to music, theatre, singing and dancing. ‘Mature’ forms – meeting scientists or artists, artistic entertaining events, discussion clubs and events ranged according to the age groups, are missing.
4. The results of the empirical research indicate that culture centers are important for local communities as a venue of organizing their leisure, providing opportunities for self-expression, initiatives and cultural education. The culture centers are being visited and cared for. At the municipal level the culture center may realize its functions and tasks, promote vitality of local community, initiatives and, thus, contribute to the cultural education. The hypothesis that successful realization of the culture center functions is related to the social and economic status, needs of the community members, the established traditions and the environment was proved. The culture centers should continuously analyze the needs of the inhabitants and look for new possibilities to provide more varied cultural services.

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