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Importance of Culture and Society's Cultural Literacy in the Economic

Development of the Country: Analysis of Latvian Policy Documents

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Vision 2025: Education Excellence and Management of Innovations through Sustainable Economic Competitive Advantage

Importance of Culture and Society’s Cultural Literacy in the

Economic Development of the Country:
Analysis of Latvian Policy Documents
Alina ROMANOVSKA

Dr., Daugavpils University, Daugavpils, Latvia

alina.romanovska@du.lv

Abstract
Culture and economy are two of the most important spheres of society. Their interaction is a complex and
often contradictory process that depends on the specific socio-cultural environment, time, place, national
development priorities, etc. The objective of the research is to carry out a systematic analysis of official
policies related to culture and cultural literacy in Latvia. The focus is on the documents published in the
period 2008 – 2018. By way of a systematic review of relevant policy documents, it examines how the
cultural sphere is promoted, how the population’s cultural literacy, which can directly influence the
economic development, is improved, and which are the most important issues of cultural policy. A
systematic search for eligible sources examining cultural literacy education, defined as formal and
informal education activities related to cultural identity, cultural practices and cultural heritage, was
carried out by employing the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses
(PRISMA) framework. A thematic analysis of the documents was undertaken using an iterative, inductive
approach to the generation of codes and themes guided by the review aims and objectives. Cultural
literacy has been designated as strategically important for sustainable development in policy documents
of Latvia. The long-term planning documents in Latvia seek to base the country’s future development on
a core of values that place less pressure on the utilisation of physical resources. This approach
foregrounds the value (and potential) of human capital and emphasises creativity, openness to the new,
tolerance, cooperation (that contributes to both cultural development and social cohesion), and
participation. Tangible and intangible public investment in these areas will also contribute to the overall
economic development of the country. There are signs of improving the country’s economic growth
potential in the system of education, which is undergoing significant changes, leading to the idea of
promoting young people’s responsibility and ability to build a creative economy-based, highly developed
country.

Keywords: culture, cultural literacy, education, policy documents, creative economy.

Introduction
Culture and economy are two of the most important spheres of society. Their interaction is a complex and
often contradictory process that depends on the specific socio-cultural environment, time, place, national
development priorities, etc. In certain circumstances, the economy can contribute to cultural development
and culture can also be used as a resource for economic development, while in other circumstances,
investing certain resources in cultural or economic development may have the opposite effect,
undermining cultural and economic development. At different stages of a country’s development, one
priority – culture or economy – can be strategically identified as a priority area for development.
However, the harmonious development of the country and the interaction of these two areas are the key to
the successful development of the country, since economic prosperity, which is significant for the well-
being of society, can be achieved only by respecting the cultural characteristics of the nation.

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Researchers’ interest in cultural and economic development dates back to the late 19th and early 20th
century, when K. Marx (Marx, 2011) and M. Veber (Veber, 1923) wrote their works. Later that theme
was addressed by R.Tawney (Tawney, 2017), D.C.McClelland, D.G.Winter (McClelland, Winter, 1969),
L.Harrison (Harrison, 1992), R.Inglehart, and others. The scholars were interested in studying various
aspects of cultural and economic interaction, but particular attention was always paid to the extent to
which certain cultural peculiarities could influence economic development and if it was possible to
measure the extent to which cultural factors could affect the economy. The scholars point out that the
interaction between culture and the economy is not to be evaluated unequically, since the economy is
characterized by rapid volatility, which is dependent on many factors; whereas culture represents a very
stable sphere of society, which is based on the transmission of values from one generation to the next.
Therefore, unequivocal close link between the economy and culture is impossible. However, another
argument is undeniable, namely, that successful economic development is possible only by taking into
account the society’s cultural peculiarities, because economic solutions operating in one culture may not
work in another one (Granato, Leblang, Ingelhart, 624-625).

In the context of the global crisis (linked to rapid depletion of natural resources, climate change,
polarisation of living standards, an increase in inequalities, etc.) experienced in the early 21st century,
culture is considered a resource of unlimited sustainability potential. Therefore, the policy documents of
Latvia state that the future of Latvia should be based on a core of values that do not require intense
utilisation of physical resources. In such a situation, the value of human capital is at the forefront,
highlighting creativity, openness to innovations, tolerance, and cooperation that contributes not only to
cultural development but also to cohesion of society, security, and participation. All of these factors can
be successfully used in promoting economic development.

The purpose of this policy review is to carry out a systematic analysis of official policies related to
culture and cultural literacy in Latvia. The focus is on the documents published in the period 2008 –
2018. By way of a systematic review of relevant policy documents, it examines how the cultural sphere is
promoted, how the population’s cultural literacy, which can directly influence the economic development,
is improved, and which are the most important issues of cultural policy. Since cultural literacy is closely
related to the society’s education, the present study indirectly addresses also the sphere of education.
Describing the cultural and historical context of the country, the study examines the factors that have
influenced the implementation of a particular cultural policy. The study also outlines strengths,
weaknesses and tensions within Latvian public policy, which emphasize the significance of the sphere of
culture in the economic development of the state.

Methodology

A systematic search for eligible sources examining cultural literacy education, defined as formal and
informal education activities related to cultural identity, cultural practices and cultural heritage, has been
carried out by using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses
(PRISMA) framework (Moher, 2015).

As a starting point, we have used the terms to express four constructs:

1) Youth: YOUTH, young, child, pupil

2) Education: Education, learn, participate, knowledge
3) Culture: Art, dance, drama, film, music, theatre, history, commemoration, museum,
galleries, libraries, poetry
4) Cultural literacy: Culture, identity, heritage, creativity

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To better understand how these constructs are expressed in Latvian national policy documents, we
examined the document Sustainable Development Strategy of Latvia until 2030 (Vides aizsardzības un
reģionļās attīstības ministrija, 2010).

We identified Latvian terms relating to each of the constructs in this document and developed our string:

(jaunatne OR jaunieši OR bērni OR skolēni) AND (izglītība OR izglītot OR mācīt OR

piedalīties OR zināt) AND (māksla OR deja OR dziesma OR literatūra OR filma OR mūzika OR
teātris OR muzejs OR izstāde OR bibliotēka) AND (kultūra OR identitāte OR vēsture OR
atmiņa OR radošums)

Searches were conducted on 10–28 June 2018 and limited to the Latvian language policy documents
published between January 2007 and July 2018. Since the search did not deliver the expected results in
the Google search, the decision to investigate the websites containing Latvian policy documents, which
summarize all national policy documents, was taken. The main sources were

1) the website of legal acts that ensures free access to systematised (consolidated) legal acts of
the Republic of Latvia – Likumi.lv (https://likumi.lv/) – created in 2001 by the official
publisher of the Republic of Latvia, according to the Law On Official Publications and
Legal Information “Latvijas Vēstnesis”, for everyone to exercise his or her rights stipulated
in the Constitution of the Republic of Latvia; and
2) POLSIS (http://polsis.mk.gov.lv/) – the database of policy planning documents.

The search process was identical in both databases. That initial search yielded 280 records. After the
removal of duplicates, the first reviewer screened 95 documents against the exclusion and inclusion
criteria. The second reviewer reviewed a random sample of 10% of all decisions blind. Disagreements
were resolved through discussion and consensus. After this initial screening process, 68 documents were
excluded and 27 documents were deemed eligible for in-depth review.

A thematic analysis of the documents was undertaken using an iterative, inductive approach to the
generation of codes and themes guided by the review aims and objectives. The manual encoding was
performed using Nvivo coding methodology. To create initial codes, two reviewers independently read
one eligible document. Results were compared, and agreed codes were developed through discussion to
create a coding matrix. On each iteration, additional codes were added to the matrix, which was used to
guide the generation of codes and identify major themes in the documents.

Description of Political, Economic and Educational Situation

The development of culture and cultural literacy policies in Latvia is highly centralised – decision-
making and coordination of processes take place within the supreme governmental body. The lead
institutions are the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Latvia, the Ministry of Culture,
the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Welfare and the Ministry of Environmental Protection and
Regional Development. The main legislative body in the Republic of Latvia is the Parliament (the
Saeima). Draft legislation is passed in three readings and submitted for approval to the President. The
President has the right to request that the Saeima reconsiders draft legislation. The Saeima is entitled to
ignore presidential requests to amend drafts, in which case the President must approve the law in its
original form.

Parliamentary elections in Latvia are held every four years. During the period considered (2007-2018),
five referendums have also taken place on various issues. In 2012, a referendum was held on

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constitutional amendments to introduce Russian as a second official language. 74.8% voted against
(turnout 70.7%) and the amendments were rejected. However, the use of the Russian language remains
relevant for a part of the population; studies show that the Russian-speaking population could be 25-30%
(Centrālā statistikas pārvalde). This causes social tension and favours radicalization: “The radical
movements of Latvia are represented by supporters of both the extreme right- and extreme left-wing
ideology. They are part of various small groups, which are divided according to ethnic principles.”
(Stasulane, 2017, 183) Latvia’s Russian Union organized protests against gradual transition to Latvian-
only secondary education in the 2019/2020 academic year, while activities of the radical right groups,
composed mainly by Latvians (Stasulane, 2017), are limited primarily to their activity on social networks
and participation in public events organised by other organisations. Insufficient knowledge of the Latvian
language among the population (especially young people) is a hindrance to successful career development
of individuals, which in its turn has a negative impact on the economic development of the country.

After an unbroken period of economic growth between 1998 and 2007, Latvia’s economy experienced a
sharp downturn between 2008–2010, exacerbated by a large current account deficit, debt exposure, and
overinvestment in real estate. Declines in GDP of 4.6% in 2008, 17.8% in 2009 and 0.2% in 2010
constituted one of the deepest recessions worldwide. In 2008, the Latvian government signed an
agreement with the European Commission and the World Bank and other EU institutions on an
international borrowing programme to prevent national insolvency. According to the agreement, a €7.5
billion loan was made available to Latvia on the basis of the government continuing its policy of fiscal
contraction and introducing structural reforms. Gradually, the situation stabilised, exports increased, and
the economy came out of recession (2010).

Relationship between culture and economic development of the country has also become an important
factor in today’s political and scientific discourse of Latvia. The current economic situation in Latvia is
fragile – some indicators are improving, but a series of other indicators show threats to economic
development. Risks to long-term economic development include an aging population and increasing
emigration. In the last nine years (since the beginning of 2010), the population has fallen by 186 000.
Mortality rates have exceeded birth rates (natural movement) since 1991. In 2017, this lead to a 7,900
decrease in the population (the population declined by a further 7,800 due to long-term migration).
(Centrālā statistikas pārvalde, 2018). In the next 20 years, Latvia’s population is projected to decrease by
almost 1% per year on average. Latvia remains among the countries whose economy is catching up
fastest with the EU average, but addressing population decline and ensuring that economic growth
benefits all of society continue to be important challenges (European Commission, 2019).

Risks to long-term economic development include the aging population and increasing emigration. In the
last seven years (since the beginning of 2010), the population has fallen by 186 000. Mortality rates have
exceeded birth rates (natural movement) since 1991. In 2017, that led to a 7,900 decrease in the
population (the population declined by a further 7,800 due to long-term migration). (Centrālā statistikas
pārvalde)

Changes in the education system have a significant impact also on the society’s cultural literacy. “The
Ministry of Education and Science has initiated significant changes in the educational approach in Latvia
in order to review the content of learning and the type of teaching for the first time in a unified system
and during all stages of education.” (Romanovska, 2019a, 3317) In 2018, the amendments to the Law on
Education and the Law on General Education brought education together into a single system to ensure
the continuity across all stages of education (from pre-school to year 12). The amendments followed the
first wholesale review of training since the restoration of independence and set the terms for the
introduction of new education content, which would provide a basis for a transition to competence-based
learning. This approach has been introduced to overcome the consequences of the economic and financial
crisis and reflect eight key competences defined at the EU level. These represent a combination of

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knowledge, skills and attitudes that are considered necessary for personal fulfilment and development;
active citizenship; social inclusion; and employment: communication in the mother tongue;
communication in foreign languages; mathematical competence and basic competences in science and
technology; digital competence; learning to learn; social and civic competences; sense of initiative and
entrepreneurship; cultural awareness and expression (European Commission /EACEA/Eurydice, 2012).

The new learning content and related learning approaches are designed to reduce fragmentation of
learning content, develop deep understanding and skills, and shape personality and values (Laganovskis,
2018). The amendments also provide for a gradual transition to the official language as the
language of instruction in secondary schools, which is considered to be instrumental in
implementing the new general education content and learning approach. The changes aim to
promote equal opportunities for all children and young people and help them to acquire
knowledge, skills and attitudes relevant to the 21 st century (Izglītības un zinātnes ministrijas
Komunikācijas nodaļa, 2018). The envisaged changes in the education system, which are to be
introduced gradually from study year 2019/2020 are focused on educating creative, enterprising
individuals. As a result, the issues of civic responsibility, successful career development and
employment will be addressed, which will generally contribute to the economic growth of the
country.

Strategic Significance of Culture in Policy Documents of Latvia

All policy planning in Latvia is based on the Sustainable Development Strategy of Latvia until 2030, a
long-term planning document adopted in 2010. Cultural values, literacy, and education are highlighted as
key drivers of the country’s development within the document and are linked closely to the priority
development axes, such as Investment in Human Capital and Innovative Governance and Public
Participation: “The strength of the nation will lie in the inherited, discovered and newly created cultural
and spiritual values, the richness of the Latvian language and knowledge of other languages. It will unite
society for the creation of new, diverse and unique values in the economy, science and culture, and these
values will be appreciated, known and respected outside Latvia.” (Vides aizsardzības un reģionļās
attīstības ministrija, 2010, 10). The document contains important guidelines on cultural education (for all
ages) and provides a guiding framework for the development of policy-planning relating to young people
with shorter time-horizons (3 and 7 years).

The importance attached to the cultural sphere reflects the specific characteristics of the country’s
development and shifting concepts of statehood. Latvian culture and a renewed sense of national identity
were identified as integral to creating a shared sense of purpose and social stability during the transition
to independence (Runce, 2013). Various manifestations of culture (national culture, cultural heritage,
cultural diversity, etc.) form the basis of contemporary political conflicts. Issues related to ethnicity have
given rise to disagreements between different political constituencies (e.g., during the celebration of
festivals, which have not received official recognition, such as Victory Day (9 May) and Orthodox
Christmas and Easter) and ongoing disagreements over the status of the official language persist. Various
political movements have used these issues for political gain, exacerbating relations between the Latvian-
speaking and Russian-speaking population of Latvia.

Latvian legislation sets out various important functions of culture in shaping society: “In the widest sense
culture shapes the value, knowledge and skill set of individuals and society, ensuring the existence of
communities and society and identity formation. Most often, only the most visible part of culture – art
and cultural heritage – is deemed as belonging to culture. However, the cultural space is formed by the
whole public environment and its diverse intellectual and tangible manifestations. Therefore, the
diversity, richness and accessibility of the cultural environment and the participation of active and

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creative individuals in the creation thereof affect not only the quality of personality and life of an
individual but also public and State growth.” (Kultūras ministrija, 2014).

In response to the EU recommendations on digitisation (see: Digital Agenda for Europe) a number of key
planning documents (such as the National Development Plan for 2014–2020 and the Information Society
Development Guidelines for 2014–2020) have recommended a major programme of cultural heritage
digitisation. Although the immediate aims of the plan are to enhance public availability of cultural
content and widen access to Latvia’s cultural heritage both at home and abroad, it is also regarded as an
important component of broader efforts to develop a knowledge-based economy in Latvia and encourage
the development of new products and services. A roadmap for digitisation describing the main measures
to be taken is outlined in the Cultural Policy Guidelines 2014–2020 “Creative Latvia” (Kultūras
ministrija, 2014) and the Information Society Development Guidelines for 2014–2020. In addition to
outlining the sources of funding (both domestic and EU), these documents highlight the potential value of
cultural heritage digitisation in contributing to the growth, export potential, and competitiveness of the
creative industries sector.

The introduction of the Digital Agenda for Cultural Heritage represents a positive example of government
efforts to increase opportunities to embed cultural literacy effectively in non-formal modes of education.
A sequential policy for digitisation of cultural heritage has been developed (in planning documents with
long, medium, and short-term time horizons) containing objectives and tasks for different periods and
identifing institutions responsible.

Creativity, Social Participation, and Economic Growth

Cultural literacy is linked to the two main culturally-related vectors of Latvia’s national development:
strengthening a sense of belonging to Latvia’s cultural spaces and building a “creative society”. The first
aspiration is assumed to emerge from the close relationship between cultural literacy and cultural and
social participation. The second, according to the Sustainable Development Strategy of Latvia until 2030,
is linked to the country’s “cultural potential”, which is reported to comprise tangible and intangible
cultural heritage. More generally, cultural literacy is assumed to be an essential building block of
developing both creative individuals and a creative society. The Sustainable Development Strategy of
Latvia until 2030, for example, reports that “art and culture are the fastest way to open and develop
human creative abilities” (Vides aizsardzības un reģionālās attīstības ministrija, 2010). Considerable
importance, in this respect, is attached to career-oriented music and arts schools available at different
levels ranging from 6–7 years of age, and also to professional programmes aimed at young people aged
16 and over and for adults culminating with a professional degree. However, the contribution of non-
formal education, such as various artwork activities and cultural education programmes, is also
recognized.

The two vectors of Latvian cultural policy (strengthening a sense of belonging to Latvia’s cultural spaces
and building a “creative society”) are also reflexively linked to economic development in their own right.
According to the Sustainable Development Strategy of Latvia until 2030, public awareness about cultural
heritage, for example, is reported to be instrumental in increasing foreign tourism, the development of
which is emphasised as a way of realising the creative potential of the society. More generally,
investment in education (including cultural literacy education is linked to developing “the productivity of
human capital” (Vides aizsardzības un reģionālās attīstības ministrija, 2010). In this respect, the transition
to a “creative society” is reported to be dependent on developing the creative capacities of both
individuals and working environments. The importance attached to nurturing individual creativity derives
from Latvia’s status as a small country (“In a state as small as Latvia every creative person is of great
value.” (Vides aizsardzības un reģionālās attīstības ministrija, 2010)). Investment in developing creative
environments is considered to add value to the creative outputs of individuals (“The bigger the investment

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in social and culturally-based capital, the larger the value added to their work.” (Vides aizsardzības un
reģionālās attīstības ministrija, 2010)) as well preserving cultural diversity and heritage, which are
regarded in their own right as instrumental in developing Latvia’s creative industries and the creation of
new products.

The term “creative economy” is increasingly used by economists and management professionals. John
Howkins has provided a significant contribution to the promotion of the term and the development of the
relevant scientific discourse. He has extended this notion to art, cultural goods and services, toys and
games, as well as to the potential for research development and their role in the economic development of
the country (Howkins 2001). The creativity-based economic model by Howkins includes all kinds of
creativity, irrespective of whether it is expressed in art or innovation. In science, there is also a narrower
understanding of the creative economy, and this understanding focuses mainly on different types of art.
Howkins’s understanding fits within the notion “knowledge economy.”

The creative economy has fundamentally changed the understanding of competitiveness of countries and
their development potential. It is based on information gathering, research and innovation processes.
Intellectual and creative ideas, which are generated and disseminated via different information channels,
are the new capital of the creative economy and also a source of the nation’s wealth and influence.
Development of the creative economy is closely linked to the local cultural potential and awareness
raising of this aspect. The Cultural Policy Guidelines 2014–2020 “Creative Latvia” define four priorities:
1) Preservation and development of the cultural capital through the participation of society in cultural
processes, 2) Creativity in lifelong learning and cultural education oriented towards the labour market,
3) Competitive cultural and creative industries, and 4) Creative territories and access to cultural services.
It can thus be concluded that Latvian policy documents declare the transition to the creative economy.

The methodology of the creative economy is based on non-standard decisions, original and non-
traditional management approaches, both with regard to strategic growth objectives and systematic
emergency and crisis situations where it is necessary to seek and implement fundamentally new survival
pathways, look for opportunities to move forward, for ways of gaining market competitiveness of
organisations and supporting measures to win the competitiveness battle (Viržbickis, Semjonova and
Plotka, 2017).

Despite the reported importance of cultural literacy to the key cultural vectors of national development,
policy documents have yet to either spell out the specific practices required to improve cultural literacy or
apportion responsibilities to public institutions to drive the process (Vides aizsardzības un reģionālās
attīstības ministrija, 2010)

Delivery of Cultural Literacy

At the national level, cultural literacy and cultural literacy education primarily fall under the competence
of the Ministry of Education and Science and the Ministry of Culture. Their activities are not always
harmonised, nor clearly defined, and often overlap. The problem of developing a coherent approach to
cultural literacy is further complicated by the involvement of other government departments (such as the
Ministry of Welfare, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional
Development). There is a measure of agreement that a more co-ordinated approach between government
departments will eliminate inconsistencies within the policy and enhance efforts to combine formal and
non-formal approaches to cultural literacy education (Siliņa-Jasjukeviča, 2011).

The institutions responsible for the youth’s cultural literacy education in formal and non-formal education
are not clearly defined. In the long-term strategic documents, cultural literacy is defined as “an integral

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part of the education system” (Vides aizsardzības un reģionālās attīstības ministrija, 2010, 98), which
includes all levels (basic, secondary and higher) of vocational education related to the cultural sector,
further education for specialists (e.g., teachers, musicians, artists, culture professionals), subjects covering
culture in general education, and the development of creative skills of individuals in lifelong learning.
However, specific activities in cultural literacy education referred to in the policy documents only cover
vocational education institutions with a relatively small number of learners. Professional arts and music
schools are relatively widely available in Latvia (there are 83 arts and music schools located in various
municipalities). However, they are attended by a minority of young people (approximately 20–30% of
comprehensive school pupils). Although cultural education can also be acquired at comprehensive
schools (learning standards show that a lot of mandatory subjects (literature, languages, music, visual
arts, culturology, etc.) are directly linked to the field of culture), this raises questions concerning equality
of access to cultural literacy education. This, however, is not an issue that can be adequately explored
from the general policy documents, which give little attention to cultural education and focus on learning
standards and their regulations.

There is also a “guidance gap” between high-level strategy documents, which outline ambitious targets
for developing cultural literacy amongst young people, and guidelines for regional/local authorities,
which specify the actions necessary to implement the strategy. “Nowadays, problems of regionalism have
appeared in the centre of political life in a lot of countries. Therefore, the study into a sociocultural, and
political-economic situation in a specific region, as well as the development of the theory of a regional
identity has become an important research issue for the humanities and social sciences.” (Romanovska,
2019b, 39) The manifestations of regionalism in policy-making in Latvia are poorly studied, but
differences in regional policy and relations with national policies can be fixed. Indeed, many national
initiatives are problematic in regions and for specific institutions, since the short-term planning
documents do not provide a sufficiently clear picture of the feasibility of introducing cultural literacy
education at formal and non-formal levels. More generally, the successful introduction of young people’s
cultural literacy at regional and local levels in the specific institutions is encumbered by several factors.
First, areas of responsibility and how resources should be allocated between various regional/local
authorities are not clearly specified. Second, there is insufficient human resource capacity to deliver the
grand aspirations stated in the high-level planning documents. Workloads in cultural and education
sectors are already reported to be high (LETA (2016): capacity to develop innovative projects and the
competences necessary to drive cultural education forward is, therefore, likely to be limited. Third, under-
funding persists despite marginal year-on-year (Centrālā statistikas pārvalde) increases in funding for
education and culture (SATORI, 2018). This partly reflects the fact that historic underfunding of culture
and education means that increases build on a weak base. The low priority given to education and culture
within broader public debates relative to more pressing issues (such as improving international political
relations, defence, health care, and raising living standards) compounds the problem (LETA, 2018).
Public attention is primarily focused on short-term challenges linked to primary needs, rather than longer
run goals outlined in the long-term planning documents, which is reflected in budgetary choices (LETA,
2018).

Conclusion

Coordination and management of a specific activity in the field of culture is delegated to the Ministry of
Culture which is entrusted with the task of building a creative, self-confident, tolerant and culturally
responsible nation. On the other hand, the Ministry of Education and Science is responsible for the field
of cultural education. The long-term planning documents in Latvia seek to base the country’s future
development on a core of values that place less pressure on the utilisation of physical resources. This
approach foregrounds the value (and potential) of human capital and emphasises creativity, openness to
the new, tolerance, cooperation (that contributes to both cultural development and social cohesion), and
participation. Tangible and intangible public investment in these areas will also contribute to the overall

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economic development of the country: “The increase in the importance of culturally-based capital has
been substantially affected by changes in the global economy – reorientation from resource-consuming
industry to creative industry, the basic resource and source of competitiveness of which is the creativity,
imagination, intuition of a person – qualities, which are mainly created by culture.” (Vides aizsardzības
un reģionālās attīstības ministrija, 2010, 13)

Different types of policy documents in Latvia interpret culture, cultural literacy, and cultural literacy
education in markedly different ways.

• The general long-term documents consider culture (and cultural literacy) to be an important
basis for the existence and development of the country. These documents consider cultural
literacy as a means of: shaping national identity; facilitating belonging to the country and
participation; providing opportunities for individual development; producing economic
development; and mobilising cultural literacy as a means of securing internal political stability
and external security.
• The documents relevant to the youth policy refer to culture side-by-side with sports and
primarily interpret cultural literacy as a type of leisure activity which can facilitate civic
participation.
• The documents relevant to education highlight cultural literacy education as a type of formal
vocational education offered by art and music schools.

When outlining the strategic role of cultural literacy in development, long-term policy planning
documents provide a general vision with broad goals. The extent to which public authorities are able to
act on this in practice is dependent on three key factors (which have yet to take effect).

• Clarification of the roles of competent authorities. These do not appear to be clearly defined and
uncertainties persist both between national and regional organisations concerning their
respective responsibilities and different ministries.
• Adequate funding.
• The development of detailed guidance outlining how high-level objectives should be put into
effect.

While the long-term policy documents emphasize the important role of culture in promoting the
economic situation, the short-term documents aimed at providing a more specific vision of the
development priorities of particular cultural areas do not give an idea of which cultural areas should be
developed and how it should be done in order to promote the economic growth of the country. The
priorities for preserving cultural heritage and developing cultural literacy, as defined in long- and
medium-term documents, which can stimulate the economic development, often remain at the level of
abstractions. There are signs of improving the country’s economic growth potential in the system of
education, which is undergoing significant changes, leading to the idea of promoting young people’s
responsibility and ability to build a creative economy-based, highly developed country. One of the
objectives of the Latvian education reform is the introduction of the competence-based approach, which
also aims at developing the creative potential of students. In modern-day Latvia, responsibility for youth
creativity development is borne mainly by interest education and institutions providing it, e.g. music and
art schools, youth centres where creative workshops and cultural activities are organised involving young
people. In Latvian policy documents, cultural literacy is assumed to be an essential building block of
developing both creative individuals and a creative society. The creative economy is at the forefront as an
opportunity for successful economic development.

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Acknowledgment

The project ‘Cultural Heritage and Identities of Europe’s Future’ has received funding from the European
Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme under the Grant Agreement No 770464.

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