Public library, citizen participation and cultural politics in local space

theoretical-methodological perspectives

Abstract

This article presents the main theoretical-methodological perspectives from a cultural participative programme pushed by the public library in rural context, ubicated in Pueblo Esperanza (Paysandú, Uruguay) articulated with national cultural politics and university programmes extension throughout competitive project presentation, together developed with civil society organizations. The objective was the socio-cultural change´s process promotion that favours the intergenerational inclusion and the identity strenghten the citizen participation. Participatory action research is developed, as a strategy to strenghten ties and work out the construction of representations and sense from the community past in dialogue with updated generations. Results show that the citizen population contributes the main actor to activate and develop the socio-cultural change process but at the same time requires a sustented social gestion in wide and participative view from the culture and the strategy developments and tools for people to participate, empower and develop successful initiatives in the local space, even in forgoten areas by public budgets.