Objectives:
The objective of the work is to familiarize the reader with the issues of socio-cultural animation. Development of this kind of pedagogical activity, especially as a social pedagogy, but in the context of the development of reflection on educational activities within culture.

Material and methods:
This article is based on the source materials - archival and contemporary achievements of this trend in pedagogical thought. The method of work is critical analysis of texts - hermeneutical analysis, but also analysis of the historical context.

Results:
The analysis showed the specificity of animation and cultural activity in the context of broader cultural education, with particular emphasis on social pedagogy and its specificity.

Conclusions:
Socio-cultural animation can be "read" by recognizing two traditions - pedagogy of culture as well as social pedagogy - at the same time they are two different ways of developing this concept. These roads, however, are somehow complementary.