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on Cultural Economics |
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Issue of 2025–09–08
four papers chosen by Roberto Zanola, Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale |
| By: | Heikkilä, Enja; Danso, Andrew; Luck, Geoff |
| Abstract: | Video game sound and music have previously been found to influence player engagement and affective responses during gameplay. However, a systematic investigation into the full extent of these effects has not been conducted. This review and meta-analysis examined the influence of music and sound on player emotional (e.g., affective responses) engagement during video game play. 14 studies met the inclusion criteria, with six providing data for meta-analysis on affective valence. Results show that sound and music were able to elevate player engagement during gameplay by positively influencing engagement related domains such as enjoyment, flow, immersion and motivation. Sound and music had a significant positive effect on affective valence (g = 0.409, 95% CI [0.109, 0.709]; p = 0.007). Sensitivity analysis showed a consistent significant effect, with low heterogeneity (g = 0.287, 95% CI [0.113, 0.462]; p = 0.001; I² = 0%). Study quality was generally high, with 11 out of the 14 studies rated for a low risk of bias. There is promising evidence for video game sound and music to improve player engagement and affective responses during gameplay, yet further research as well as standardization of methodology is required to better understand the underlying mechanisms in this emerging area. |
| Date: | 2025–08–30 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:mediar:mxrgh_v1 |
| By: | Sara Lowes; Benjamin Marx; Eduardo Montero |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the evolving relationship between religion and economic development in emerging and developing countries (EDCs). Building on large-scale survey data and recent scholarship, we document persistent and, in many regions, increasing levels of religiosity. First, we present global trends in religious beliefs and practices, highlighting a religious divergence between EDCs and high-income countries, as well as the continued prevalence of traditional belief systems alongside major world religions. Second, we analyze the determinants and consequences of religious behavior, showing how income volatility, financial insecurity, and cultural transitions sustain demand for religion. Third, we explore the institutional and political dimensions of religion in EDCs, emphasizing the role of religious institutions as public goods providers and as politically influential actors. This discussion offers a framework for understanding religious organizations as adaptive, competing platforms in pluralistic religious marketplaces. Overall, our findings suggest that religious adaptation, rather than decline, is central to understanding the future of religion and its economic implications in the developing world. |
| JEL: | N10 O1 Z1 Z12 |
| Date: | 2025–08 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:34167 |
| By: | Marcel Macelaru (Aurel Vlaicu University of Arad, Romania) |
| Abstract: | As Europe navigates an age of migration, secularization, and political polarization, the question resurfaces: can religion still contribute to a cohesive European identity? While Christianity has historically shaped Europe’s cultural, institutional, and moral architecture, its role in the 21st century is increasingly contested. This paper explores how religion, particularly Christianity, reframed through a constructive model of public theology, can foster social cohesion without retreating into triumphalism or exclusion. The paper presents three models for understanding religion’s public function in Europe: (1) Christianity as cultural heritage, which emphasizes symbolic continuity; (2) Christianity as moral framework, which contributes to ethical deliberation within democratic pluralism; and (3) Christianity in pluralistic encounter, which cultivates civic relationships through interfaith and intercommunal cooperation. A final constructive section proposes a vision of Christian public theology that affirms memory, nurtures ethical responsibility, and promotes dialogical engagement. Rather than reclaiming Christendom, this paper calls for a public Christianity grounded in humility, justice, and dialogical presence. When disentangled from ethno-nationalist identity claims and practiced as a contributor to the common good, religion can support a cohesive, inclusive, and ethically grounded European identity. |
| Keywords: | Christian Public Theology, European Identity, Religious Pluralism, Cultural Memory, Democratic Ethics, Moral Imagination, Solidarity, Interfaith Cooperation, Public Reason, Post-Secular Society |
| Date: | 2025–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:smo:raiswp:0542 |
| By: | Marcella Alsan; Yousra Neberai |
| Abstract: | This chapter explores the multifaceted relationship between culture and health from an economic perspective, integrating insights from anthropology, psychology, and political science. It begins by examining how culture provides meaning to illness and suffering and explores how culturally grounded “disease theory systems” influence beliefs about what causes illness, how and whether suffering should be remedied, and the appropriate role of the state in allocating health care resources. The importance of culture in defining the boundary between normal and abnormal pathology is highlighted via case studies. The chapter next reviews evidence on how health behaviors such as smoking, firearm ownership, dietary practices, and reproductive decisions are influenced by cultural norms of masculinity and religiosity. Lastly, it examines how firms, governments, and civil society leverage and advance cultural narratives to influence individual behavior and public policy. Thus, culture in relation to health both naturally evolves and is actively constructed, with implications for health inequality and health policy. |
| JEL: | H10 I1 I11 I12 I13 I14 I18 P0 P50 |
| Date: | 2025–08 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:34134 |