Dainius Genys (Vytautas Magnus University)
This article examines a central paradox of democratic development in post-socialist societies: the coexistence of increasingly sophisticated civic education frameworks with persistently weak patterns of everyday civic participation. Using Lithuania as an analytically revelatory case, the study combines longitudinal national data (Civic Empowerment Index), international comparative surveys (ICCS, ESS), and policy and curriculum analysis to explore the temporal misalignment between institutional reform, cultural internalization, and practical enactment of democratic citizenship. Accordingly, a three-level analytical framework is proposed, distinguishing between institutional design, cultural mediation, and civic practice. The findings reveal that while democratic values and knowledge have become firmly embedded in educational policies and student competencies, their translation into sustained participation remains fragmented and episodic. Civic engagement intensifies during moments of crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, but recedes during periods of normalization, indicating a pattern of reactive rather than routinised citizenship.
ICCS data show a transformation of youth civic identity from school-centered participation (2009), to knowledge-based democratic recognition (2016), and finally to a value-oriented but politically cautious citizenship (2022). This trajectory highlights the persistent gap between support for democratic ideals and readiness to engage in politically contentious spaces. The article argues that sustainable democratic agency requires not only curricular reform, but also the development of durable participatory infrastructures within schools and communities. Rather than interpreting low participation as democratic failure, the author conceptualizes it as an outcome of structural asynchrony.
Keywords: Civic Education; Democratic Agency; Post-socialist Societies; Lithuania; Participation.