Acceptance of European Values: Case Study Dr. Franjo Tuđman Croatian Defence Academy

Abstract

The paper analyses the acceptance of selected democratic values by the students at the first, second, and third levels of progressive and sequential officer education at Dr. Franjo Tuđman Croatian Defence Academy and the understanding of a democratic society. The degree of the students' acceptance of nineteen values derived from the values of the European democratic system is examined. It includes students' acceptance of multi-party democracy, legislature, economy, living standard, human and civil rights, autonomy, private, public, and state property, as well as co-existence. The data collected during the process of preparation of the doctoral dissertation titled “Intercultural curriculum of military schools” were used. The dissertation was defended in 2018 at the Faculty of humanities and social sciences, University of Zagreb. The survey found that the level of military education is related to the level of acceptance of European democratic values. Students at higher levels of officer education show a higher degree of acceptance of selected democratic values and have a more positive attitude toward them.