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on Cultural Economics |
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Issue of 2025–12–08
five papers chosen by Roberto Zanola, Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale |
| By: | Jaokar, Ajit; Arenal, Alberto; Feijóo, Claudio |
| Abstract: | This study explores the ethical challenges posed by the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in the creative industries, focusing on issues of cultural ownership, authenticity, and the balance between creativity and automation. As AI technologies become more prevalent in content generation across fields such as visual arts, music, literature, and film, questions emerge regarding the exploitation of cultural heritage, the preservation of artistic integrity, and the potential for homogenization in creative outputs. Drawing on a mixed-method approach, including a review of existing literature, case studies, and a semi-structured survey of 16 creative professionals, this research examines the perspectives of content creators on these ethical dilemmas. The findings reveal significant concerns about cultural misrepresentation, over-reliance on AI, and the erosion of traditional artistic skills. Participants emphasize the need for human oversight, transparency, and the involvement of cultural experts to mitigate these risks. The study highlights the importance of developing ethical frameworks that promote cultural sensitivity, respect for intellectual property, and the preservation of originality in creative processes. It also underscores the need for balanced approaches to AI integration that enhance rather than replace human creativity. The study concludes with recommendations for creating collaborative, transparent, and ethically grounded AI systems in the creative industries. |
| Keywords: | artificial intelligence, content industries, AI ethics, cultural diversity, creative industries, cultural ownership and attribution, ethical frameworks, artistic integrity, cultural sensitivity, homogenization risk |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:itse25:331281 |
| By: | Giuseppe Attanasi; Giuseppe Ciccarone; Valentina Peruzzi |
| Abstract: | This paper investigates how collective cultural participation shapes the micro-dynamics of trust formation and its short-term social and economic effects. Using unique microdata from a long-term field study of collective cultural participation, comprising more than 13, 000 face-to-face interviews, we examine whether engagement in shared artistic experiences enhances instantaneous social capital, defined as a temporary yet socially meaningful increase in interpersonal trust. Results show that emotional and bodily participation in collective performances significantly increases the likelihood of reporting higher trust toward others. This situational trust, in turn, predicts a greater willingness to volunteer and higher local spending. The findings highlight that cultural events can act as catalysts of both social cohesion and local economic vitality, even within short-lived, non-institutional settings. |
| Keywords: | social capital; trust; cultural participation; field study; prosocial behavior; local development |
| JEL: | Z13 D91 D64 O18 C83 |
| Date: | 2025–11 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sap:wpaper:wp266 |
| By: | Howell, Bronwyn E.; Potgieter, Petrus H. |
| Abstract: | The exhaustion principle, or first-sale doctrine, limits copyright holders' control after the authorised sale of a tangible copy, enabling resale, lending, and preservation. In digital markets, however, this principle has largely become irrelevant, as distribution models now rely on licences that prevent secondary use. This paper examines how the disappearance of copyright exhaustion affects four key digital markets – books, music, video, and software – along six dimensions: access, preservation, privacy, transactional clarity, user innovation, and platform competition. Drawing on a structured review of legal and economic literature, it assesses both the erosion of these benefits and possible remedies, including forward-and-delete technologies, common law exhaustion, relaxed anti-circumvention rules, and enhanced fair use provisions for libraries. The study argues that digital distribution has shifted the balance of rights too far towards copyright holders and that differentiated regulatory reforms may be needed to restore a socially beneficial equilibrium that preserves both market efficiency and user rights. |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:itse25:331276 |
| By: | H. Mammadov; I. Etzo |
| Abstract: | This study examines what drives digitisation in museums and cultural institutions using the Technological, Organisational, Environmental (TOE) framework. Drawing on data from the 2023 nationwide ISTAT survey of Italian museums, it analyses how internal capabilities and external conditions influence digital adoption. Two logistic regression models identify key determinants of digitisation for both displayed and stored collections. Results show that technological readiness, especially Wi-Fi availability, social media use, and the uptake of digital tools, strongly promotes digitisation. Organisational enablers such as public funding, staff training, institutional type, and visitor volume also play important roles, while partnerships and networks support digital engagement through cooperation and resource sharing. The findings additionally underscore the importance of sustained staff training and collaborative funding schemes, which help build digital competencies and support larger-scale projects across institutions. Overall, digitisation emerges as a systemic process shaped by infrastructure, human resources, and institutional relationships. |
| Keywords: | Digitisation;Digitalisation;Museums;Digital Technologies |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cns:cnscwp:202517 |
| By: | Papathanasopoulos, Athanasios; Kargas, Antonios D.; Varoutas, Dimitris |
| Abstract: | This study examines the Greek television market from 2018 to 2023 using the Structure-Conduct-Performance (SCP) framework, applying simultaneous equations to analyze the interactions among national TV broadcasters during this period. The findings indicate that market structure, measured by audience share, is significantly influenced by lagged advertising revenue and operational expenditure. Market conduct, proxied by content production and acquisition costs, is shaped by past advertising income and audience shares but remains constrained by the sector's continued reliance on traditional broadcasting and the allocation of ownership capital to other operational areas rather than content innovation. Market performance, measured by advertising revenue, is positively correlated with audience share, investment in content, and digital visibility, yet remains constrained by persistent inefficiencies in operational spending. During the period under review, the market evolved from moderate (2018–2020) to low (2021–2023) concentration, with ownership concentration exhibiting limited influence on either conduct or performance. Despite ongoing financial challenges and continued reliance on traditional broadcasting models, the emerging link between website traffic and advertising revenue points to a gradual shift toward digitalization. As one of the first studies to apply a simultaneous-equations SCP model to the Greek television sector, this research contributes novel insights into the structural dynamics, strategic constraints, and performance outcomes shaping legacy media in an evolving digital landscape. |
| Keywords: | Greek TV market, Structure-Conduct-Performance, SCP, media concentration, digital transformation, media economics, television industry |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:itse25:331296 |