VÝVOJ PARTICIPATÍVNEJ DEMOKRACIE: KOMUNITNÉ ORGANIZOVANIE V POSTKOMUNISTICKOM KONTEXTE

The article deals with the concept of community organizing. First, the concept is explained from the theoretical point of view, in terms of political (civil) participation as a key prerequisite of substantive democracy and in context of its crisis, both in old democracies and post-communist societies. Later, it is considered as practice in its birthplace, in the American context, where community organizing is remarkably popular and effective. Subsequently, the article is focusing on research the possibility of using this concept in post-communist context, especially in the Slovak society. It shows that the lack of structural base (vibrant civil society in particular) and political legacy of authoritarianism are the main inhibitory factors in the development of civic political culture, which is the key sociocultural prerequisite of political participation, and consequently of community organizing.