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on Cultural Economics |
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Issue of 2024‒09‒30
seven papers chosen by Roberto Zanola, Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale |
| By: | Grace Yoon (Choate Rosemary Hall, Wallingford, USA) |
| Abstract: | With the advent of social media and the digital landscape, mainstream activism is a distinguishing feature of young Americans today, referred to as millennials and Generation Z, i.e., those born between 1980 and 2012. However, this perspective overlooks the depth and authenticity of social involvement among these younger individuals, particularly through their embrace of literature and art—particularly spoken word poetry. Spoken word, rooted in oral tradition and championed by previous generations for its social impact, is finding renewed vigor among youth as a genuine means of articulating their societal concerns. This paper will examine the usage of spoken word poetry by contemporary Americans as a means of civic and political engagement. This exploration is contextualized through a modern lens, where digital platforms are amplifying voices traditionally marginalized in mainstream narratives, allowing spoken word poetry to evolve beyond its historical confines into a dynamic form of expression. This study extends the discussion to contemporary poets such as Amanda Gorman, Danez Smith, and Donald Glover who have harnessed the art form to address society’s most pressing issues. This analysis underscores the genre's burgeoning role within popular culture, evidenced by its integration into the music and public personas of artists who have traditionally not been associated with spoken word, thereby marking its reentry into the popular consciousness. At its core, the revival of spoken word among the youth, fueled by social media and digital platforms, represents a recent renovation to an old art form at different levels of pop culture. It is a testament to the enduring power of the spoken word to inspire, challenge, and mobilize. By embracing this tradition, today's generation is not merely participating in an act of revival but is actively redefining civic engagement and artistic expression. |
| Keywords: | spoken word, poetry, activism, social justice, Amanda Gorman, Danez Smith, Donald Glover |
| Date: | 2024–05 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:smo:raiswp:0371 |
| By: | Turati, Riccardo |
| Abstract: | This paper analyzes whether natives with a network abroad have a distinctive cultural stance compared to similar individuals without such connections within the same region. Using individual-level data on connectedness from the Gallup World Poll across 2, 256 within-country regions over 148 countries, it characterizes the cultural stance based on three traits: pro-social behavior, religiosity and gender-egalitarian attitudes. The paper shows that natives who have a connection abroad are characterized by stronger pro-social behavior, religiosity and genderegalitarian attitudes. To address potential biases arising from omitted variables, it controls for an extensive array of individual characteristics and region-by-year fixed effects. The results are also consistent after employing comprehensive measures of connectedness, employing matching techniques, and assessing selection biases related to unobservable factors. Finally, by leveraging both country and individual-level heterogeneity, the analysis indicates that the pro-social behavior stance of connected individuals is fairly consistent across different contexts and individuals, while the findings on religiosity and gender-egalitarian attitudes are more sensitive to local and individual factors. The paper therefore shows that factors enhancing or dampening this relation are cultural trait specific. |
| Keywords: | Cultural traits, Connectedness, Network, Social Remittances, International Migration |
| JEL: | F22 O15 Z10 |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:glodps:1488 |
| By: | Claudia Matei Varga (Aurel Vlaicu University of Arad, Romania) |
| Abstract: | In the context of the growing cultural and religious diversity in contemporary society, religious education plays a crucial role in promoting mutual understanding and respect. This article explores the concept of "active pluralism" and its relevance in the current educational landscape, contrasting it with traditional models of religious education such as mono-religious and multireligious approaches. By examining educational theories and practices, the article highlights the advantages of interreligious education, which encourages active dialogue and empathetic understanding among students of different faiths. Additionally, the challenges and criticisms of passive pluralism are discussed, along with solutions for more effective implementation of interreligious education. The study focuses on the historical and educational context of Belgium, offering insights into how active pluralism can be effectively integrated into school curricula. The conclusions suggest that active pluralism and interreligious education are essential for developing an inclusive society capable of managing religious diversity in a constructive and harmonious manner. |
| Keywords: | active pluralism, interreligious education, cultural diversity, mutual understanding, educational values |
| Date: | 2024–07 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:smo:raiswp:0401 |
| By: | Tavishi Choudhary (Greenwich, Connecticut, United States of America) |
| Abstract: | 53% of adults in the US acknowledge racial bias as a significant issue, 23% of Asian adults experience cultural and ethnic bias, and more than 60% conceal their cultural heritage after racial abuse (Ruiz 2023). AI models like ChatGPT and Google Bard, trained on historically biased data, inadvertently amplify racial and ethnic bias and stereotypes. This paper addresses the issue of racial bias in AI models using scientific, evidence-based analysis and auditing processes to identify biased responses from AI models and develop a mitigation tool. The methodology involves creating a comprehensive database of racially biased questions, terms, and phrases from thousands of legal cases, Wikipedia, and surveys, and then testing them on AI Models and analyzing the responses through sentiment analysis and human evaluation, and eventually creation of an 'AI-BiasAudit, ' tool having a racial-ethnic database for social science researchers and AI developers to identify and prevent racial bias in AI models. |
| Keywords: | data bias, digital law, diversity, ethical artificial intelligence, ethnic bias, inequality, racial bias, sentiment analysis |
| Date: | 2024–07 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:smo:raiswp:0400 |
| By: | Leo Bancou (Université Paris Dauphine-PSL - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres); Boukje Cnossen (Leuphana Universität Lüneburg) |
| Abstract: | This empirical article seeks to explore the relational dynamics and social phenomena underpinning collective creativity, focusing on the lived experiences of co-creators. Drawing on an ethnographic case study of the Eureka Series programme, we examine how participants build and sustain social bonds while creating together. This programme, organized by the Series Mania Institute in Lille, France, brings together emerging European TV series writers, placing them in a ‘writers room' environment to collaborate and develop original TV series projects. Our analysis reveals how co-creators cultivate a creative togetherness (i.e., a way of being and feeling together while creating) and shed light on three underlying dynamics: (1) the assembling of human and material entities, (2) the movement between different modes of ‘crea-co-presence', and (3) the careful mobilization of affects and affectivity. By integrating relational and new materialist perspectives such as Judith Butler's social ontology of shared vulnerability, we highlight the significance of embodied and affective subtleties in collective creation. We challenge traditional views of creativity as a static process focused on production, instead emphasizing the generative potential of being and creating together. Our findings contribute to management and organization theory by shifting the focus from collaborative production to the organization of creative togetherness, underscoring the importance of non-productivist forms of collective creativity in contemporary work environments. |
| Keywords: | Creative collaboration, Co-presence, Ethnography, Vulnerability |
| Date: | 2024–07–04 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04669681 |
| By: | Aurelia Sabiescu (School 117, Bucharest, Romania) |
| Abstract: | In the description of the days dedicated to the field research, De Martino studies ad locum tarantism and the aspects that this ancient custom encompasses, guaranteeing solutions to the “crisis of presence†. From this point of view, the magic of traditional societies can be perceived as a compass in understanding the primordial representations of the world, through which De Martino distances himself from Benedetto Croce's optics and seeks to understand the world of magic using Heidegger’s existentialist instruments, that provides answers to the problem of the “crisis of presence†and the “anxiety of history†, through the solution provided by the magic ritual, of the “rescue from the crisis†. In fact, this Heideggerian concept is treated separately in the chapter, trying to follow a series of aspects that can explain the many facets of this existential concept: from individual psychological aspects, such as suffering or fear of death, to the cultural frames of communities, that are contextualized historically. Last but not least, the intention to provide a clear and multi-angular image of tarantism made me investigate in detail De Martino’s itinerary in Lucania, following the way in which the scholar doubled the observation, which followed in detail the specific ritual steps, with the analysis of a theoretical nature, in order to verify to what extent there is a high degree of validity between the intuitions of his thinking and the specific-therapeutic function of the ritual dance. It is known about the relationship of the Italian scholar with Romanian folklore, treated and viewed in comparison with the forms of manifestation of the Italian popular culture. In this context, fascinating aspects and similarities of tarantism and the ritual elements of the Romanian Căluș were noted. By examining the convergence of these cultural practices, we gain a deeper understanding of the universal characteristics present in different folk traditions. |
| Keywords: | therapeutic function, magic ritual, traditional societies, tarantism, solution, ritual steps |
| Date: | 2024–07 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:smo:raiswp:0414 |
| By: | Jean-Éric Pelet (IAE - IAE AMIENS); Bonnie Canziani (University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, USA); Nic Terblanche (Stellenbosch University) |
| Abstract: | ◦Purpose Teaching wine tasting online is challenging, even given the curated digital tools of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust, a highly renowned online wine certification system is used. This paper initially explores wine experts' opinions about online wine education and subsequently examines the feasibility of customizing wine appreciation lexicons to Chinese learners. ◦Design/methodology/approach A two-study multimethod approach was adopted. Study 1, a two-stage Delphi study, was conducted with seventeen wine experts representing a number of countries, using a mix of closed/open-ended questions in an online survey. Data was collected in a market study in Study 2, conducted at agricultural markets in Thailand (pilot test) and China. Dialogues with market sellers were undertaken, evoking mental imagery of wine descriptors to explore the relevance of traditional versus local aromas and flavors to describe wine. ◦Findings Findings concentrate on three main areas: general advantages/disadvantages of online wine education, reactions towards asynchronous/synchronous methods of wine tasting, and lastly, feasibility of customizing a wine appreciation lexicon for Chinese learners. ◦Originality The article presents novel insights into the role of online wine education in China. |
| Keywords: | China, Delphi study, Learning management systems, Online wine tasting evaluation, WSET certification, Sensorial marketing China Delphi study Market study Learning management systems Online wine tasting evaluation Sensorial marketing WSET certification, Sensorial marketing China, Market study, Sensorial marketing, China Delphi study Market study Learning management systems Online wine tasting evaluation Sensorial marketing WSET certification alcohol consumption in emerging markets, WSET certification alcohol consumption in emerging markets |
| Date: | 2024–08–08 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04670360 |