Operationalising cultural democracy – the experience from a transitional society

This article examines the operationalisation of cultural democracy within Croatian cultural policy and explores how it can be practically implemented in transitional societies. The analysis employs an interdisciplinary approach, drawing on modernisation theory and cultural policy studies to trace the historical evolution and theoretical foundation of cultural democracy as a distinct paradigm of cultural policy. The Croatian context is situated within wider patterns of post-socialist transition, examining how civil society actors have emerged as key agents in advancing cultural democracy through participatory governance models. The empirical focus lies on socio-cultural centres, new institutional formations based on civil-public partnerships that operationalise cultural democracy through shared decision-making power over public cultural resources. Findings reveal that while such bottom-up initiatives demonstrate the transformative potential of participatory governance, their sustainability remains precarious within a cultural policy system resistant to power devolution.