Dimensions of citizenship and nationality in the area of comprehensive education: experience of the Republic of Lithuania

• VDU talpykla: leidinio tekstas

ENAccelerating processes of globalization affect most areas of public life. They are assessed ambivalently; challenges of the current epoch are especially hard on national cultures. European Union policies do not aim to homogenize the diverse expressions of its members’ various cultures. Such processes are autonomous and relate to the increasing mobility of the population. A state with a nation as its basis should more effectively implement the perception of the importance of ethnic culture in its educational system and cultural institutions, in order to preserve and strengthen the citizenship of its society. In 2009 the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Lithuania adopted a development strategy for ethnic culture in educational institutions, in 2012 it was fleshed out into an action program. The principal provision is that elements of ethnic culture -folklore, traditions, folk art - should be integrated into most of subjects taught and into extracurricular activities. However, practical steps are slow; unfortunately, ethnic culture phenomena are of little interest to the popular media. This paper aims to analyze the causes of this situation. In the conclusions it is stated, that strengthening of national self-perception and ethnic culture as a task of national importance should be more effective in schools of comprehensive education. It is also important in schools of national minorities, in order to strengthen the intercultural cooperation and societal integrity. Keywords: national identity, citizenship, ethno-culture, globalization, EU cultural policy, education. [From the publication]

• Etnologija / Ethnology
• Edukologija / Education