DEMOKRATIZAČNÝ PROCES NA SLOVENSKU PO ROKU 1989 V OČAKÁVANIACH VEREJNOSTI

The paper introduces the theoretical background for a discussion about the role of citizens in the Slovak community; it analyses expectations of the citizens of Slovakia in the light of deepening of democratization and democratic processes in the mid-nineties. The study leans on data from the representative sociological research realized by a team of researchers around the Institute of Political Sciences of S.A.S in 2003-05. The research findings induced a hypothesis about the existence of distinct stages of revival of citizenship in the process of overcoming the totalitarian civic syndrome, i.e. the revival of citizens´ activation within a frame of a public life. The surveys proved that the citizens of Slovakia have already got over the first stage of acquiring their ability to perform a role of citizens in a democratic state. Finally, the paper focuses on the fact that Slovak society has acquired its own experience with skipping historical phases of development without serious or deep internal conflicts. Slovak citizens derived from the traditional social atmosphere and paternalism of the nineties. As a result, citizens are not willing to take over their responsibility for attributes and conditions of the newly created democratic society. The process of creating and performing the role of citizens proceeds very slowly. It has become apparent that masses of inhabitants are not willing to act in the public interest.