Cultural potential of society as a resource of development

Abstract

The cultural potential of society is a multidimensional resource that encompasses tangible and intangible elements, e.g. mental orientations rooted in culture, needs and competences in the sphere of cultural participation, and activities in other spheres of life, as well as pro-development values. A particular resource are competent elites able to create new patterns of behaviour. Another kind of cultural potential are cultural institutions that contribute to the creation of the social capital and the capital of creativity. Last but not least, there is cultural heritage. This potential is created by the actions of individuals, social groups, and institutions functioning on various levels of social life. The aim of this paper is to describe the idea of society’s cultural potential. It presents the definition of the cultural potential of society, its role in development processes, the issues of creating and strengthening this resource and of managing it.