Causal processes of democratic change: Socioeconomic development or sociocultural factors?

Dealing with democratization of transitional societies, the author is trying to define causal processes of democratic change. Considering sociostructural prerequisites as necessary but not sufficient for establishing democracy the author emphasizes the importance of sociocultural factors and claims that political culture is the intervening variable in the interaction between socioeconomic development and democracy. This thesis is tested through various aspects of the relationship between socioeconomic and sociocultural dimensions of the democratization process. Economic development and other structural factors do not act directly, nor do they solely by themselves influence the existence and stability of democracy. That influence is mediated by sociocultural factors, particularly by political culture. Hence, democratization is a collective action shaped by sociocultural factors. The effect of sociostructural prerequisites on the democratization process is taking place through the activity of sociocultural factors, which determine the forms and reaches of collective action, and finally the level and stability of democracy. In the transitional context, democratization is in progress both as sociostructural modernization and sociocultural adaptation.