"Democracy needs culture" - this is also the opinion of the cultural policy top candidates of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia at the Digital Discussion Forum on State Cultural Policy on April 4, 2022. But what does this actually mean? What were Tim Achtermeyer (Bündnis90/Die Grünen), Andreas Bialas (SPD), Lorenz Deutsch (FDP), and Bernd Petelkau (CDU) aiming at when they said that cultural policy is social policy? The current Minister of Culture, Claudia Roth (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen), also emphasizes: "We must stand up for the culture of democracy" and refers to the fundamental connection between culture and democracy (The Federal Government, 16.02.2022). For Roth, cultural policy is also simultaneously democracy and social policy. The growing importance of culture in the Federal Republic is further demonstrated by the fact that this year's cultural budget has been increased by another billion euros (The Federal Government, 16.02.2022). This further increases the political weight of culture in the Federal Republic, as the former Minister of Culture, Monika Grütters (CDU), also campaigned for an increase in the cultural budget by almost 54% during her term in office. According to Grütters, there is a "duty to bring to the population, [to make] art publicly accessible" (Grütters/Jessen, 29.11.2021).
However, let us pause for a moment: Is culture the same as culture? Definitely not. The understanding of culture varies depending on the perspective. Culture can be high culture, culture can be memory culture, culture can be democratic culture, and much more. Culture may be a product or expression of society, but it is also the glue of society. Culture is meaningful and identity-forming. And therefore it is not only worth protecting, but also needs our attention. More than ever today. Let us think in the following about why democracy needs culture and how we can promote social cohesion with various cultural practices.
Why does democracy need culture? And what do we mean by "culture" in each case?
Culture is not just about the number of theaters relative to the population or well-attended opera houses and museums. Culture is much more than that which comes to mind when one first thinks of the term. In order to understand how we can use culture, we must first reflect on what we mean by culture in the particular context. A broad concept of culture that does not only include the opera or theater, but also links culture to democracy and social cohesion, is helpful for this. This is also reflected in Lutz Eckensberger's cultural psychological theory of action from 2001, which understands "man as an active meaning-constructing being" (Breit, 2008, p. 47). Based on this theory, Heiko Breit (2008) developed a trinity of culture, action and democracy, which are not only closely interwoven, but also in a constant interplay. Breit states: "Culture depends on the activity of the individual, because subjects are not simply determined, channeled and sanctioned by culture from the outside. People actively construct culture themselves, preserve and change it over time and make it come alive through their actions" (ibid., p. 48). Therefore, culture cannot be understood solely as artistic design. Culture also encompasses all that is reflected in the "norms, prohibitions, values, symbols, myths and rites" of human interaction (ibid., p. 47).
Culture not only has social significance, but it shapes our society. Culture is part of our understanding of community and society. Jürgen Rüttgers argued as early as the early 2000s that 'nowhere else do social changes announce themselves as early as in art' (2004, p. 61). Culture (policy) must be understood holistically. Culture does not simply exist as the beautiful alongside the true challenges of a democratic society. Culture is and shows what society is made of, what shapes it, what it has learned, and where it is moving. A functioning democracy must therefore not only promote its culture(s), but specifically use and recognize its fundamental significance.
When we speak of culture, we always speak in the plural, because committing to a definition of culture always implies a distinction. Our understanding of culture can vary and is always an expression of society or community. Professor Christine Landfried of the Hertie School of Governance emphasizes the connection between culture, civil society, and democracy. Her approach is based on a democratic theory. She sees the cultural foundations of democracy in a general appreciation of democratic structures and trust in the legitimacy of elected representatives. Landfried puts forward the hypothesis that social fragmentation has far more serious consequences for democracy and that it has been underestimated by political decision-makers. Feelings of fear, outrage, anger, and intolerant behavior in politics and society lead to the 'erosion of the cultural foundations of democracy' (Landfried, 2019). Social cohesion and connectedness are fundamental to the legitimacy of decisions in a representative democratic system.
How can we promote democracy and cohesion through cultural participation?
How can such a strengthening of social cohesion work? That is exactly what the project Heimat.Demokratie.Sachsen wants to show. The project aims to strengthen democratic culture in structurally weak regions of Saxony. Municipalities and schools in particular are to be involved in the cooperation. Heimat.Demokratie.Sachsen is based on communication strategies with which democratic values are to be promoted in the population. The project, which is still in the starting blocks, is being carried out by the Freudenberg Foundation together with the Regional Office for Education, Integration and Democracy (RAA) Saxony and the RAA Hoyerswerda/East Saxony. The Freudenberg Foundation is committed to strengthening democratic civil society, especially in Europe and Germany. To this end, it supports non-profit institutions and their projects that aim for a long-term anchoring of democratic values in the respective regions. The Community Art Center Mannheim also pursues a similar approach. Here, "artistic means are used to campaign for an open society and democratic culture" (ibid.). With different methods, the sociocultural center promotes the promotion of democratic values. For example, there are musical projects in which different cultures meet, or projects for the cultural promotion of children and young people. Through cooperation with democracy-promoting clubs, the Community Art Center Mannheim has become a meeting place for the promotion of democracy.
"It is therefore also not just about strengthening social cohesion within a country. Cultures can learn from each other, enrich each other, and develop together. The encounter of cultures is also one of the concerns of Culture Minister Roth (The Federal Government, 02/28/2022). Against the backdrop of Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine, she called for a focus on culture from countries where democracy is at risk. This means integrating and presenting art and culture from these countries in Germany in order to stand up for democracy on the ground. Ukrainian artists in particular should now feel that they are not alone and are supported in their fight for the preservation of democracy. An approach on the level of culture should strengthen general cohesion and thus contribute to the promotion of democracy.
However, this requires not only engagement in the here and now. Cultures have always merged and have developed from this merger throughout history. To really use culture sustainably for democracy, the whole thing must also be viewed from a historical perspective. Because cultural memory is also part of culture. This not only refers to the awareness of the historical connection of cultures. We must also draw conclusions and consequences from national developments, learn and adapt our behavior. The importance of a well-developed cultural memory is probably known to all living in Germany. Nonetheless, the resurgence of right-wing and exclusionary movements in recent years bears witness to a lack of historical and cultural awareness within the population.
But what does it actually take to gain such awareness and use it to promote democracy?
The Council of Europe has compiled a list of competencies that are considered necessary for participation in a culture of democracy. Values such as respect for human dignity and attitudes such as a focus on the common good are at the center. However, certain skills such as empathy and critical understanding of the world are also required. To use culture effectively in a democracy, individuals must take an active role and shape the cultural coexistence in a representative democracy. However, what is necessary is widespread participation and the creation of the necessary structures in particular. Only then can cultural and therefore democratic competencies be developed. Of course, access to cultural offerings is important here, whether in the city or in the countryside, in addition to schooling. Projects that promote cohesion within society and between cultures seem particularly suitable for strengthening the sense of togetherness in the entire society. The dangerous 'them-up-there-and-us-down-here' thinking must be dissolved and replaced with a 'we-all-together-against-challenges' attitude.
However, Professor Benedikt Sturzenhecker of the University of Hamburg points out that social and cultural participation are in crisis (2019). Overcoming this is therefore a basic prerequisite for the full use of culture for democracy and requires efforts not only from the political and cultural sectors, but, as noted above, from the base of society itself.
The fact that we are taking steps in the right direction and that the issue is becoming increasingly salient is also shown by the increase in the German cultural budget. Financial resources are important, but they are not everything. We all bear the responsibility for preserving cultural plurality and the democratic order in which we live. This year's Eurovision Song Contest has impressively demonstrated how Europeans stand together in the fight for democracy and guarantee Ukraine their support in musical terms as well. Culture brings people together, it connects them, and it creates friendships. Culture is also interculture. Once social cohesion is in place, a fundamental step towards promoting democracy and social participation has already been taken. Just as the concept of culture is inherently plural and must be seen in context, so are our societies. Nurturing this plurality is our collective task.
Sources
Council of Europe. 2016. Kompetenzen für eine Demokratische Kultur. Strasbourg: Council of Europe Publishing. Zugriff: <https://rm.coe.int/16806ccc0b>. Letzter Zugriff: 20.05.2022.
Die Bundesregierung. 28.02.2022. Aufruf der Kulturstaatsministerin: Für eine gemeinsame Kultur der Demokratie in Europa. Zugriff: <https://www.bundesregierung.de/breg-de/bundesregierung/bundeskanzleramt/staatsministerin-fuer-kultur-und-medien/fuer-eine-gemeinsame-kultur-der-demokratie-in-europa-2008652>. Letzter Zugriff: 20.05.2022.
Die Bundesregierung. 16.02.2022. Mehr Geld für Kultur und Medien. Zugriff: <https://www.bundesregierung.de/breg-de/bundesregierung/bundeskanzleramt/staatsministerin-fuer-kultur-und-medien/staatsministerin-und-ihr-amt/100-tage-im-amt>. Letzter Zugriff: 20.05.2022.
Grütters, Monika; Jessen, Hans. 29.11.2021. „Die Politische Bedeutung der Kultur wurde signifikant gestärkt“: Monika Grütters im Gespräch. Deutscher Kulturrat. Zugriff: https://www.kulturrat.de/themen/demokratie-kultur/16-jahre-cdu-kulturpolitik/die-politische-bedeutung-der-kultur-wurde-signifikant-gestaerkt/. Letzter Zugriff: 20.05.2022.
Landfried, Christine. 15.05.2019. Die kulturellen Grundlagen der Demokratie. Über die Notwendigkeit von Grenzüberschreitungen. Schader-Stiftung. Zugriff: <>. Letzter Zugriff: 19.05.2022.
Plath, Ingrid; Graudenz, Ines; Breit, Heiko (Hrsg.). 2008. Kultur – Handlung – Demokratie: Dreiklang des Humanen. Wiesbaden: Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften.
Rüttgers, Jürgen. Sept. 2004. Kulturelle Grundlagen der Demokratie. Orientierung unter postmodernen Bedingungen. In: Die politische Meinung Nr. 418: S. 58-62.
Sturzenhecker, Benedikt. 2019. Integrationspotentiale demokratischer Teilhabe und Teilnahme – reflektiert an Konzepten und Projekten Kultureller Bildung. Kulturelle Bildung online. Zugriff: < https://www.kubi-online.de/artikel/integrationspotentiale-demokratischer-teilhabe-teilnahme-reflektiert-konzepten-projekten>. Letzter Zugriff: 20.05.2022.
Malin Nissen is a research assistant in the MetaKLuB project and works in the field of public relations and qualitative research.