The Use of the Socio-Cultural Potential of Local Societies through the Presentation of Cultural Specificities

The study is based on the APVV project that focused on the socio-cultural capital of successful Slovak municipalities, bearers of the "Village of the Year" title, which can serve as a source of inspiration for other municipalities in improving the quality of life in the countryside. The aim of this study is to highlight the possibilities for the development of local communities in the context of geographical and economic determining factors and to observe the use of the socio-cultural capital as a source of sustainable growth also in the context of cultural and local identity. The study analyses two concrete examples aimed to increase the attractiveness of the sites through the presentation of their socio-cultural potential. The first case covers the municipality of Hrusov and its participation in the Hont Eco-Museum project, implemented within the wider micro-region. In the second case, we explore the municipality of Spissky Hrhov and its analogical example - the museum of music MuzikMuzeum. The study was based mainly on the results of the pilot research and subsequent ethnological field research in both municipalities, conducted predominantly by means of direct interviews with the locals, newcomers as well as leaders of the municipalities in 2018. The synthesis of the conclusions is based on a comparison of some determining factors of the development of both sites (the proximity and accessibility of urban centres, economic or confessional aspects in relation to the local community).