ISSN 1648-9098 Ekonomika ir vadyba: aktualijos ir perspektyvos. 2010. 3 (19). 103–109 IMPORTANCE OF CULTURAL CENTRES AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS COOPERATION IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ETHNIC CULTURE IN RURAL AREAS Stasė Navasaitienė, Dalia Perkumienė Lithuanian Agricultural University Abstract Ethnic culture consists of the beliefs and practices Ethnic culture forms the basis of every national cultu- held or observed by specific human groups that have re. It has been developed along with evolution of the man been passed down from their ancestors through their including all spheres of his spiritual and material life and grand-parents, parents and the society around them. meeting various his needs. Experience of the man, his de- Ethnic culture is one critical factor that affects eco- pendence on the nature, history and social conditions, featu- nomic development, demographic behaviour, and ge- res of human character and anthropological particularities neral business policies around the world (Ethnic…, were reflected in the ethnic culture. The article analyses the importance of culture centre 2009). and community organizations cooperation in the nurturan- There is a lack of miscellaneous cultural resear- ce of the ethnical culture in rural areas. Authors discuss ches in Lithuania. Scientific idea has touched some how cooperation of culture centres and community organi- fragments of Lithuanian cultural mosaic more or less. zations make influence on successful nurturance of ethnic Especially it is scant of more intense look at the cultu- culture and national heritage. ral phenomena. Keywords: culture, ethnic culture, culture centre, com- The significant role in social life of individuals is munity, cooperation. playing the movement of communities turning into global phenomenon and solution of social problems Introduction in the residentiary environment of person. Therefore Culture includes every material and spiritual valu- at work the attention is paid to socio-cultural activity es created by particular activities of every personality of communities, to preservation of cultural heritage or the social group. In world’s history there exist so- and its cultural value, to nurturance of ethnic culture me peculiar codes revealing the ways and potencies and local traditions. The paper aims to reveal how cul- of human existence in the society. tural centres involve rural community to preserve a Anthropologists most commonly use the term “cul- national heritage. ture” to refer to the universal human capacity to classi- When investigating the problems of sociality in fy, codify and communicate their experiences symbo- the world and in Lithuania, developing the principles lically. This capacity is long been taken as a defining of sociality, discussing on matters of modelling the feature of the genus Homo. However, primatologist forms of sociality and seeking for the significance of such as Jane Goodall (1986) have identified aspects upbringing of sociality in municipal activities exactly of culture among our closest relatives in the animal the primary link – culture centres – possesses the hu- kingdom. ge possibilities. Culture has been called “the way of life for an en- Cultural centre and the community - are the two tire society.” As such, it includes codes of manners, inseparable unites. Nation’s heritage can be preserved dress, language, religion, rituals, norms of behaviour only with cooperation for the common purpose of ru- and systems of belief (Jary, 1991). ral community and workers of cultural centres. The culture includes all aspects of sectional activi- An organization of rural community as a formal ties – mindset, faith, cognizance and feelings that wel- unit is relatively a new phenomenon in Lithuania, and led during long centuries of social groups’ existence their cooperation with the Cultural centres is poorly and were passed from generation to generation (Kro- studied. This topic was analysed by I. Seliukaitė, L. eber, Kluckhohn, 1963). The social groups express Klimka, A. Samalavičius, and others. their attitudes, convictions and feelings differently. In order to reveal the importance of culture centre Culture or civilization, taken in its wide ethnograp- and community organizations cooperation in the nur- hic sense, is that complex whole which includes know- turance of the ethnical culture in rural areas in 2007- ledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other 2009 was done an empirical research in eight subdivi- capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member sions of Jurbarkas district. of society” (Tylor, 1974). 103 The purpose of research – to explore the importan- Culture includes "every aspect of life: know-how, ce of culture centre and community organizations co- technical knowledge, customs of food and dress, reli- operation in the nurturance of the ethnical culture in gion, mentality, values, language, symbols, socio-po- rural areas. litical and economic behaviour, indigenous methods Object of the research – nurturance of the ethnical of taking decisions and exercising power, methods of culture in rural areas. production and economic relations, and so on" (Ver- Methods of the research – the analysis of scientific helst, 1990). literature, an interview- conversation, analysis of cul- Ethnic culture forms the basis of every national tural events, the detailing and generalization as well culture. It has been developed along with evolution of as the logical abstracting. the man including all spheres of his spiritual and mate- rial life and meeting various his needs. Experience of Results of research man, his dependence on the nature, history and social Concept of culture and cultural policy in Lithua- conditions, features of human character and anthro- nia pological particularities were reflected in the ethnic Culture is a system of shared beliefs, values, cus- culture. A number of professional cultural spheres ha- toms, behaviours, and artefacts that the members of ve developed, which take their vitality and national the society use to cope with their world and with one spirit from the sources of their progenitors (Ethnic…, another, and that are transmitted from generation to 2009). generation through learning. Entering the 21st century, Lithuania maintained its Culture or Civilization is that complex whole interesting and peculiar ethnic (traditional) culture, the which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, development of which has been preconditioned by the custom and any other capabilities and habits acquired relatively late baptism of the country (15th century) by man as a member of society. (Tylor, 1974 work). and its ancient language ascribed to the Indo-Europe- Culture (from the Latin cultura stemming from co- an mother tongue. Up to the 19th century, Lithuania li- lere, meaning “to cultivate”) is a term that has diffe- ved according to traditional lifestyle. Therefore, even rent meanings (Harper, 2001). For example, in 1952, today we have many surviving phenomena of traditio- Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list nal ethnic culture. Although relatively small in terms of 164 definitions of “culture” in Culture: A Critical of territory, Lithuania has 5 ethnographic regions with Review of Concepts and Definitions (Kroeber et al, population speaking different dialects, wearing diffe- 1952). However, the word “culture” is most common- rent national folk costumes and celebrating different ly used in three basic senses: seasonal festivals, all marked by exciting customs and • excellence of taste in the fine arts and humani- crafts. These regions are as follows: Zemaitija (Samo- ties, also known as high culture gitia), Aukstaitija (the Upper Lands), Suduva, Dzuki- • an integrated pattern of human knowledge, ja and Lithuania Minor. belief, and behaviour that depends upon the Very often it is being reminded that European capacity for symbolic thought and social lear- Union does not regulate the national policy of cultu- ning re. Culture falls into the competence of national go- • the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and vernments. But the matter of fact is that EU is interes- practices that characterizes an institution, or- ted in cultural multiplicity of member states and their ganization or group. cultural cooperation. Of course, such position of EU Culture is acquired knowledge used to interpret also emphasizes that nobody else will take care of our experience and generate behaviour (Spradley et al, national culture. The Government of the Republic of 1996). Lithuania is responsible for the national culture. The Culture is not a deterministic force but rather a position of the Ministry of Culture is to seek at the sa- subtle and often subliminal pattern of thinking which me time for two goals – to implement consistent natio- describes the "organization of values, norms, and nal policy of culture, and, on the other hand, to achie- symbols which guide the choices made by actors and ve that the membership in EU would give as much as which limit the types of interaction which may occur possible additional opportunities for development of between individuals" (Parsons, et al, 1990). national culture (Dovydėnienė, 2003). Theorists such as Matthew Arnold (1960) or the More recently, a 2002 document from the United Leavises (1960) regard culture as simply the result Nations agency UNESCO, 2002 states that culture is of "the best that has been thought and said in the the “set of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual world”. and emotional features of society or a social group, Culture has