Core Concepts Research Articles

Медиация сквозь линзу экономической теории трансакционных издержек: предметное поле проблемы и выводы для политики

Based on the application of the conceptual core of the economic theory of transaction costs, an explanation is offered of the grounds and possibilities of using mediation in economic disputes as a way to ensure the stability of contracts and continuity of transactions in value chains. The place of mediation among alternative mechanisms of transaction management in the spectrum between the hierarchical and market mechanisms is explained using the conceptual schemes of O. Williamson and C. Menard. The paper shows how mediation differs from involving a third party in transactions and why mediation is most appropriate and in demand for maintaining hybrid institutional agreements, which in this case can be ensured by bilateral mechanisms of transaction management. The paper also shows why the participation of mediators in dispute resolution is not a special case of a trilateral transaction management mechanism, but can be attributed to bilateral mechanisms, despite the independence of mediators from the parties to the dispute. Approaches to determining the economic effects of mediation and identifying the limits of the mediator's competence are disclosed. The role, functions and competences of mediators are considered in the context of problems caused by the incompleteness of concluded contracts. The role of diffuse (in the understanding of F. Hayek) and tacit knowledge and their combination as sources of the need for mediation is emphasized. A description of structural alternatives to mediation is proposed, including voluntary and compulsory mediation in their various forms. It is shown that one of the main problems of voluntary mediation as an element of a hybrid transaction management mechanism is enforcement of the agreements reached. This problem can be solved in various ways, including by switching to mandatory mediation. The experience of using mandatory mediation in antitrust regulation is considered. Issues for further economic research of the new subject area are presented in the context of the economic theory of transaction costs. The article was written on the basis of the RANEPA state assignment research programme.

Reimagining Medicine as a Practice of Solidarity: A Corrective to Spaceship Ethics.

The culture of medical training and contemporary medicine is largely influenced by "spaceship ethics," where healthcare professionals are taught to take "refuge in principles that place them outside, or above, the complicated, ambiguous, contradictory lives of those others who sicken and die" (Irvine and Charon 2016). Is there a better way that medicine can care for individuals immersed in ambiguous, contradictory lives of sickness and death? In this paper, we argue that one corrective to spaceship ethics is reimagining medicine as a practice of solidarity. At its conceptual core, solidarity is a cooperative relationship that transcends self-interest and respects each person's dignity and sense of belonging-a collective human need that does not distinguish caregivers from patients. We build a theory of solidarity in the context of medical training by describing the life and legacy of Father Damien as well as the ongoing HIV-focused work of Shalom Delhi. We then discuss three practical ways in which contemporary medical training can encourage solidarity: (1) proximity to patients and communities; (2) choosing careers based on a community's needs; and (3) an openness to transformation by patients. We conclude that solidarity can be a corrective to spaceship ethics by enabling healthcare professionals to engage in complicated social realities of sickness, death, and provider-patient dynamics. A practice of medicine that is animated by a commitment to this type of solidarity reorients clinicians' lives and professional priorities around the experiences of the patients they care for. In a medical culture that trains healthcare practitioners to distance themselves from patients as whole persons, practicing solidarity encourages sustained proximity, advocacy, and dignity.

A Bibliometric Review of Renewable Energy Financing and Sustainable Development

This study presents a comprehensive bibliometric review of the scholarly literature on renewable energy financing and its link to sustainable development. Utilizing data from the Scopus database and analyzed through VOSviewer, the study maps thematic clusters, keyword co-occurrences, author collaborations, and country-level partnerships from 2000 to 2024. The findings reveal that "sustainable development" serves as the conceptual core of this research domain, closely associated with terms such as "green finance," "energy efficiency," and "climate change." Recent trends indicate a growing scholarly focus on financial instruments like green bonds and the broader policy landscape of energy transition. Co-authorship and country collaboration networks demonstrate strong regional concentrations, with China, the United States, and India emerging as key contributors. While the literature is rich in financial and technological insights, gaps remain in addressing social equity, regional financing models, and the integration of digital finance. This study contributes to the literature by offering a systematic overview of research developments, identifying influential contributors, and suggesting future directions for interdisciplinary inquiry into sustainable energy finance.

Liminal Strategies in the Margins of International Politics: The State-Like Power of Non-State Greenland

Abstract A growing body of literature builds on the observation that power is relational and directs attention to the diplomacy of marginal and liminal subjects, implying that they harbor a potential to change the structures undergirding international politics. However, performances of state power routinely find other loci than diplomacy, and all states are more or less marginalized from the conceptual core of statehood. This article therefore offers a re-calibrated take on the liminal potential emanating from marginal subjects in international politics, broadening the analytical focus beyond classical diplomacy to wider discourses of international law, international security, and international economy. After introducing the notion of power as performative, the article conceptualizes the margins and what liminality adds in terms of a different temporality, developing transition, suspension, and hybridization to describe marginal strategies with a liminal potential for change. The article then analyzes how the Greenlandic non-state, as an exemplary case, works in the margins to empower itself internationally. In conclusion, Greenlandic political practice reveals how the spatio-temporal margins of international politics—the gaps in and between the three constitutive discourses of law, security, and economy—enable the wielding of Greenlandic power with liminal potential.

Екзистенційні виміри війни в есе Ернста Юнґера «Війна як внутрішнє переживання»

This article explores the existential dimensions of war as presented in Ernst Jünger’s essay “War as Inner Experience”. As a direct participant in World War I, Jünger centers his reflections on the protagonist’s (his own) personal engagement with the destructive phenomenon of war, which serves as a means for self-transformation and the integration of these experiences into a cathartic process. The study underscores that Jünger’s poetic portrayal of combat operates as an attempt to grapple with human existence in its most critical and extreme states. Invoking Friedrich Nietzsche’s philosophical concept of the “Übermensch”, the analysis posits that war gives rise to a new archetype of soldier – individuals who, through an ongoing process of existential transformation, adeptly navigate societal destruction and derive self-identification from their wartime experiences. Existential categories such as solitude, fear, anxiety, freedom, and faith are intricately woven into each chapter of Jünger’s work. The study further identifies key binary oppositional existential themes that form the conceptual core of Jünger’s narrative. These include the oppositions “Eros and Blood”, “The Trench and Pacifism”, and “Horror and Courage”, which reflect the author’s moral and philosophical contemplation of his wartime experiences. The dichotomy of “Eros and Blood” serves as a metaphor for the tension between the polarities of “life and death”. Blood is emblematic of the mortal violence inflicted upon the enemy, whereas Eros, by contrast, signifies the affirmation of life and a quest to reclaim vitality. Similarly, “The Trench and Pacifism” illustrates the gulf between the harsh realities of frontline existence and the utopian aspiration for peace. The trench becomes a symbol of dehumanization, while pacifism embodies the longing for a harmonious world. Lastly, Jünger’s existential pair “Horror and Courage”, forged through the crucible of war, captures a spectrum of emotional extremes. Horror immobilizes and disorients, whereas courage replenishes the inner resolve of the soldier, enabling decisive action. Through such oppositional binaries, Jünger constructs a conceptual framework in which war emerges as a transformative force, capable of forging a new human identity.

Paroemias Characterizing Social Relations in the Intercultural Communication of Native Speakers of Russian, English, and Arabic

Aim. To analyze and study the stereotypes of thinking of a certain people, by studying the conceptual core of a certain language according to its paremic units, and also to compare the paremic units of different cultures to identify possible similarities and differences in their thinking stereotypes.Methodology. To achieve the goal, it is necessary to analyze the research on the concepts of intercultural communication, the paremic unit and the paremic worldview; to study the features of the paremic worldview of Arabic, English and Russian speakers based on selected proverbs characterizing social relations; to identify the similarities and differences between the paremic worldview of Arabic, English and Russian speakers. First of all, the analysis of theoretical and methodological literature was carried out. The paremic units were selected by controlled selection in accordance with the indicated thematic groups, then a comparative analysis of equivalent paremic expressions of the three languages was carried out, which became the key method. Then, based on the linguistic and cultural analysis of the vocabulary of the selected paroemias, the peculiarities of the paremic worldview of speakers of Arabic, English and Russian languages were revealed.Results. The necessity of studying the paremic units of foreign languages in order to avoid communicative difficulties in the process of intercultural communication is proved. The relevance of comparing the paremic worldview of speakers of different languages in general and individual paremic expressions in particular is substantiated.Research implications. The study reveals a possibility to use the results obtained to improve the process of intercultural communication, and in addition, they can be used in translation studies for the correct translation of paremic units into different languages.

On the problem of nomination and synonymy of the term "glaucoma"

The ophthalmological terminological system is considered to be formed, but insufficiently studied from the point of view of synonymy. Often, the term acquires duplicate double or triple names — quasi–synonyms, which the authors consider professional jargon and "folk" terms. The work represents the next stage of an earlier study, the subject of which is ophthalmological terminology. The purpose of the study is to explain the nature of the term via the formation of a nomenclature generally accepted term, to find possible quasi—synonyms for this term, explaining their presence or absence. The object of the study is the term "glaucoma". The author considers the structure of a triple row of duplicate names from the point of view of concept theory: the nomenclature name is in the center and is the conceptual core, in the nuclear zone — professionalism—jargonisms, folk terms are located on the periphery. The history of the term "glaucoma" is considered, an attempt is made to identify quasi-synonyms and establish the relationship between the name of the disease and the perception of the disease by patients, through an experiment. 93 patients with the diagnosis of "open-angle glaucoma" of the initial and advanced stages took part in the experiment. The patients were offered a questionnaire (12 questions, answers: "yes", "no", one additional question). The scientific novelty lies in the fact that due to the insufficient knowledge of the problem of nominating duplicate ophthalmological terms, an experiment was conducted that allowed us to determine the range of descriptors used by patients to determine their condition. The detailed answers confirmed the scientists' guesses that the etymology of the term "glaucoma" may be related to the use of a descriptive (cloudy blue-green) in ancient times. In addition, the results of the experiment revealed that the term "glaucoma" has neither synonyms nor duplicate names, which was obviously influenced by the etymological factor, the euphony factor, as well as the identity factor. In the future, it is necessary to study the influence of various factors on the appearance of duplicate terms and their distribution into groups: nomenclature terms, professional jargonisms, "folk" terms.

ПАРАДИГМАЛЬНО-ЗМІСТОВИЙ КОНСТРУКТ ПРОЦЕСУ ФОРМУВАННЯ ЗДОРОВ’ЯЗБЕРЕЖУВАЛЬНОЇ КОМПЕТЕНТНОСТІ МАЙБУТНІХ БАКАЛАВРІВ ФІЗИЧНОЇ ТЕРАПІЇ

The processes of reforming higher education in Ukraine have determined significant changes in the content of professional training for future professionals, aimed at developing their professional competencies. Therefore, changes in the paradigmatic level in contemporary higher education are related to changes in the basic theoretical concepts of professional training, implying the choice of the following forms, methods, and means that correspond to the conceptual core of the modern competence paradigm. The paper characterises the essence of the paradigmatic and content construct of health-saving competence of future bachelors of physical therapy, the functioning of which provides for the implementation of holistic, systemic, competence, activity, and environmental approaches as the initial theoretical and methodological foundations of the process of forming the health-saving competence of future bachelors of physical therapy, which should ensure the health protection and an appropriate level of physical therapy in the field of patient care in the future. Accordingly, relevant changes have to be made in the professional training process of future bachelors of physical therapy not only at the level of theory but also at the level of methods of such training. The four basic components of the studied phenomenon have been identified and described: value-motivational, cognitive-content, activity-process, reflective-behavioural, and there has been defined the criterion and indicator construct of their reflection in the levels of formation of health-saving competence of future bachelors of physical therapy, consisting of axiological, cognitive, technological and personal criteria and their indicators. The study proves that in the aggregate it contributes to the determination of self-assessment and self-improvement processes of formation of health-saving competence of future bachelors of physical therapy.

Біофілософське знання через призму філософсько- освітніх підходів

The article is devoted to the methodological and methodical function of the philosophy of education regarding the variability of the content of modern philosophical knowledge in higher education. The article argues why biophilosophy, as an educational discipline, can be included in educational and educational-scientific programs as a mandatory or optional component. The relevance of the study of biophilosophy for future generations is also asserted, since biophilosophy is a variant of naturalistically oriented philosophy, the conceptual core of which is life, and the content of biophilosophical knowledge covers the philosophy of biology, the philosophy of life and related axiology. It is determined in the work that biophilosophical knowledge contains a potential opportunity to form a worldview in a person with the prevailing ideas of the value and significance of life, to provide a deep awareness of the unity of man and living nature, and therefore to contribute to the comprehensive disclosure of the epistemological, ontological, methodological and axiological foundations of life, on which life is built biological picture of the world. Biophilosophical cognition is interpreted as an intellectual and mental component of personal knowledge (in particular, knowledge about living things) and becomes the basis and source of further relevant cognitive processes (biological knowledge), which stimulates the humanization of human activity, harmonizes human relationships, and is indirectly manifested in the change of people’s attitude to the surrounding world. The conclusions state that biophilosophy in the system of higher education can be a new worldview paradigm for the preservation of human culture and civilization, provided it is popularized through institutions of higher education. Also, biophilosophy, as an educational discipline and a discipline of the new enlightenment, can successfully fulfill one of the main educational tasks: to form in the minds of young people a modern biological picture of the world and a modern worldview.

„Eine Sprache ausstellen“

Abstract In their attempt to reposition Germany in an international context after World War II, actors from both the fine arts and the literary scene turned to the idea of art as a universal language. Two major projects that shaped the West German cultural sphere in the 1950 s and 1960s – the contemporary art exhibition documenta 2 and Hans Magnus Enzensberger’s anthology Museum der modernen Poesie – placed this idea at their conceptual core. The debates surrounding these projects show, however, that the notion of art as a universal language was as contested as it was compelling. In close readings of paratexts, including previously overlooked archival material, it becomes evident that very different conceptualizations of monolingualism and community are attached to the idea in each context. Evaluating these differences through the lens of translation studies, curatorial studies, and political theory enables a more nuanced discussion of the concept’s post-war renaissance and its ideological implications.

Strolling to Nothingness: Japanese tea gardens and the initiation of Bildung

Abstract Although the alienating journey into the unknown as the fundamental element of transformative education may have gained a paradigmatic expression in the German concept of Bildungsreise, it is neither a solely German or even European concept, nor is it a child of the 18th century: the transformative power of travelling has been acknowledged at least since antiquity in Europe, and comparable reflections and practices have evolved in other parts of the world. This article will introduce one of those examples that may, only on first view though, look quite distinct from what is suggested as Bildungsreise: the strolling on the roji (露地), the path through the tea garden, before entering the chashitsu (茶室), the tea room, to participate in chanoyu (茶の湯), the tea ceremony, as it found its classic form in 16th-century Japan. Discussing this Japanese practice will not only support an intercultural perspective on the educative nature of travel and the relevance of space for the theory and practice of transformative education or Bildung, but also—more relevant from a philosophical point of view—enable an analysis of the conceptual core of the idea of a transformative journey. As will be shown, far from being a special case of education or Bildung, this conceptual structure lies at the very heart of both.

The Technological Nature of “New Sincerity”

Changes in modern communication have led to the transformation of the category of sincerity into a technology (or strategy) of persuasive influence. Increased sensitivity and the illusion of displaying genuine emotions are used not for frank self-expression, but for achieving commercial, ideological, and other goals. In the article, “new sincerity” is examined from the perspective of communication theory and the understanding of effective strategies by communication participants. It is argued that “new sincerity” has several variations with different sets of substantive components. Four models of new sincerity are characterized, each structured according to the significant components identified during the analysis: the scope of the concept of sincerity, the subject of sincerity, the object of influence, the instrument of influence, the conceptual core (integral component), qualifiers of the concept, type of activity; means of carrying out the activity; expected result of the activity. The assumption is made that variations in understanding the linguistic unit new sincerity have emerged as a result of the universality of its structural-and-semantic contour. It is suggested that the word sincerity originally had potential for future transformations due to the practical properties of the reality it denotes. It is shown that the awareness of the unique properties of sincerity has led to its transformation into insincere sincerity as a technology for attracting audiences of different types with different goals.

Культурный код: определение понятия и практическая проблематика феномена: теоретический обзор

The aim of the study is to form a theoretical core of understanding of this phenomenon within the framework of theoretical review of modern concepts of cultural code. The article considers different definitional, structural and functional aspects of the cultural code, reveals its psychic roots and significance in human behavior, structure, sign-symbolic, figurative and value content, the role of a connecting element between the psyche and culture, the function of a communicative element and an interpreter of cultural texts and a cipher encapsulating the main meanings of culture. The significance of the cultural code in ethnic and national forms of human existence, in the construction of social and cultural identity is established. The key problems and risks associated with the defragmentation of the cultural code are outlined: standardization and unification of cultural codes within the framework of globalization, ideological and cultural wars and propaganda, excessive subordination of culture to market and materialistic principles, erosion of traditional values and meanings and at the same time imbalance between traditional and innovative principles in culture, conflictogenicity and disharmony of socio-cultural space as factors of intergroup and international conflicts, destructive processes, and the emergence of new cultural codes. Based on the generalization and synthesis of the obtained knowledge, a new theoretical and conceptual core of the cultural code is formulated as a structure that determines the image-symbolic and value content of culture, its ethnic and national peculiarities, the prospects of development of the sociocultural environment or the mechanisms slowing down this development, as well as the specificity of unconscious thinking and behavior of the people-expressor of the culture and its codes. In the framework of the proposed concept, the cultural code appears as a kind of “genome” of culture, laying the foundations of its development, determining the nature of interaction and human assimilation of its products, serves as a basic mechanism of specific cultural mastering and transformation of the world around people, as well as a decoder that allows (if correctly interpreted) to read the mental characteristics of social groups and influence them in the mental and behavioral sense.

THE CONCEPT OF “JUST WAR”: HORIZON, STRUCTURE, CRITICISM

The concept of “just war” has become politically and scientifically relevant due to the collapse of the “European international system of sovereign states”; in the modern situation of “world disorder” (R. Haas), it becomes an instrument of public rhetoric; the inevitable consequence is the degradation of meaning - philosophical research, thus aimed at the formation of the concept, becomes relevant. Understanding the structure, meaning and scope of the concept of “just war” involves putting it in context; the goal, therefore, is to construct a horizon. The main task is to clarify the meaning of the concept of “just war” as a phenomenon of modernity. The concept of “just war” belongs to the field of ideas, that is, understanding presupposes going beyond the methodological framework of disciplinary science - the trans-boundary can be ensured by using methods developed by philosophical hermeneutics to analyze and identify the meaning of ideas and concepts, as well as understanding the ways in which they have power and determine reality. It is revealed that the reduction of the political to morality and the direct application of moral principles to politics necessarily leads to the degradation of war: the rejection of the “non-discriminatory concept of war” in favor of the concept of “just war” removes any restrictions from armed violence. It is demonstrated that war remains necessary on its periphery as normalization, police operation, “humanitarian intervention; the concept of ’just war’ is a tool for ensuring security. It is concluded that the anti-terrorist war as a police operation to ensure the security of the global liberal political order is the conceptual core of the modern concept of “just war”.

The Effects of Side-Taking on Narrative Entertainment and the Perceptions of Events and Characters

ABSTRACT Media psychologists commonly study how narrative elements (e.g. characters) influence entertainment and perceptions. Research on the sequencing and structure of these elements (i.e. metanarrative; the shape of the story) is less common. In both areas, morality tends to ground theorizing (e.g. disposition theory). To extend knowledge in these domains, we conceptualize and observe the effects of side-taking (i.e. choosing a side during conflict), a core concept in narratives and moral psychology. Dynamic coordination theory explains that side-taking is fundamental to morality because it signals moral judgment/condemnation. In a preregistered experiment (N = 577), we observed how the direction (i.e. siding with/against the protagonists or taking no side) and timing of side-taking (i.e. early, middle, or late in the story) influenced variables at multiple levels of analysis (i.e. micro-to-macro). Although timing did not produce effects, we found robust evidence that the direction of side-taking affected variables at all levels of analysis.

Макроконцепт СВЕТ в романе С. В. Лукьяненко «Мальчик и Тьма»

The purpose of the study is to identify the content and methods of explication of the macro-concept LIGHT in the novel “The Boy and the Darkness” by S. V. Lukyanenko, interpreted as one of three macro-concepts (LIGHT :: DUSK :: DARKNESS), the opposition of which organizes the conceptual sphere of the novel, modifying the opposition of the basic concepts HOME WORLD :: ALIEN WORLD. The scientific novelty of the research consists in identifying the essence of the author’s modification of the symbolic macro-concept LIGHT recurrent in his creative heritage, the macro-concept significant for the Russian national worldview, by means of cognitive-discursive analysis. It has been determined that the macro-concept LIGHT, conceptualized as an object and subject of action, container and content, is explicated discursively at the levels of the plot, images of characters, self-reflection of the protagonist, supplemented by new cognitive features. As a result of the study, it has been established that the content of the conceptual core of the macro-concept LIGHT, formulated by the author, contradicts its perceptual-sensory and symbolic content. Such a contradiction, forming the axiological layer of the concept, serves as the driving force for the maturation of the protagonist, who proceeds from instinctive acceptance to the conscious choice of Light.

Technology isn't enough for Industry 4.0: on SMEs and hindrances to digital transformation

Despite a general lack of examples showcasing seamless implementation of industry 4.0, talks of a human-centric, resilient, and sustainable industry 5.0 have already begun. But are the managers and workers of manufacturing enterprises today even ready for that? Digital transformation is still slow-going, especially within small- and medium-sized companies. Supported by an existing framework and interpretive structural model for digitalisation, we argue that a big part of digital transformation depends on the workers' competencies. Guided by the research question: How can the approach to competence development in SMEs explain patterns of slow digital transformation?, we investigate 30 manufacturing SMEs pursuing digitalisation. While manufacturing companies are aware of the need for additional competencies, few are actively working towards obtaining them. We expand on a theoretical model for smart manufacturing determinants and argue how a scaffold is needed to support SMEs in the early stages of digitalisation to increase understanding of core concepts, i.e. Industry 4.0 concepts and available technologies, data handling, integration capability, upskilling and training, and strategic management capabilities. We propose that a scaffolding approach to competence development can enable knowledge acquisition and the formation of digital transformation strategies.

Simulation in New Zealand: what have you done for me lately? New Zealand Association for Simulation in Healthcare (NZASH) white paper.

Medical simulation has become an integral aspect of modern healthcare education and practice. It has evolved to become an essential aspect of teaching core concepts and skills, common and rare presentations, algorithms and protocols, communication, interpersonal and teamworking skills and testing new equipment and systems. Simulation-based learning (SBL) is useful for the novice to the senior clinician. Healthcare is a complex adaptive system built from very large numbers of mutually interacting subunits (e.g., different professions, departments, equipment). These subunits generate multiple repeated interactions that have the potential to result in rich, collective behaviour that feeds back into the organisation. There is a unique opportunity in New Zealand with the formation of Te Whatu Ora - Health New Zealand and Te Aka Whai Ora - Māori Health Authority and the reorganisation of the healthcare system. This viewpoint is a white paper for the integration of SBL into our healthcare system. We describe our concerns in the current system and list our current capabilities. The way SBL could be implemented in pre- and post-registration phases of practice are explored as well as the integration of communication and culture. Interprofessional education has been shown to improve outcomes and is best done with an interprofessional simulation curriculum. We describe ways that simulation is currently used in our system and describe other uses such as quality improvement, safety and systems engineering and integration. The aim of this viewpoint is to alert Te Whatu Ora and Te Aka Whai Ora of the existing infrastructure of the simulation community in New Zealand and encourage them to invest in its future.

Wellbeing and School Improvement: A Scoping Review

ABSTRACT Over the past decade, the intentional promotion of student and staff wellbeing (i.e., positive states of psychological, cognitive, social and physical being) has become recognized as an essential dimension of quality schooling. This development has coincided with a growing body of research that demonstrates significant correlations between wellbeing and positive school outcomes (i.e., attendance, academic achievement, classroom engagement, disciplinary absences). While this body of literature identifies why wellbeing is important to school improvement, it is not necessarily clear whether it provides insight into how wellbeing may be effectively incorporated into the praxis of school improvement. This paper reports on a scoping review that sought to identify how the construct of wellbeing is presented as an imperative within the school improvement (SI) literature. The review identified that promoting wellbeing in schools as a means of improving school outcomes can be understood through three core concepts: (a) the development of personal wellbeing and academic capability are complementary; (b) significant cultural and structural reform is necessary in schools to enable effective approaches to promoting wellbeing; and (c) a nurturing style leadership is a determining factor in a school’s capability to substantively promote wellbeing. The paper also provides recommendations for further research in this area.

Measuring Commonality in Recommendation of Cultural Content to Strengthen Cultural Citizenship

Recommender systems have become the dominant means of curating cultural content, significantly influencing the nature of individual cultural experience. While the majority of academic and industrial research on recommender systems optimizes for personalized user experience, this paradigm does not capture the ways that recommender systems impact cultural experience in the aggregate, across populations of users. Although existing novelty, diversity, and fairness studies probe how recommender systems relate to the broader social role of cultural content, they do not adequately center culture as a core concept and challenge. In this work, we introduce commonality as a new measure of recommender systems that reflects the degree to which recommendations familiarize a given user population with specified categories of cultural content. Our proposed commonality metric responds to a set of arguments developed through an interdisciplinary dialogue between researchers in computer science and the social sciences and humanities. With reference to principles underpinning public service media (PSM) systems in democratic societies, we identify universality of address and content diversity in the service of strengthening cultural citizenship as particularly relevant goals for recommender systems delivering cultural content. We develop commonality as a measure of recommender system alignment with the promotion of a shared cultural experience of, and exposure to, diverse cultural content across a population of users. Moreover, we advocate for the involvement of human editors accountable to a larger value community as a fundamental part of defining categories in the service of cultural citizenship. We empirically compare the performance of recommendation algorithms using commonality with existing utility, diversity, novelty, and fairness metrics using three different domains. Our results demonstrate that commonality captures a property of system behavior complementary to existing metrics and suggests the need for alternative, non-personalized interventions in recommender systems oriented to strengthening cultural citizenship across populations of users. Moreover, commonality demonstrates both consistent results under different editorial policies and robustness to missing labels and users. Alongside existing fairness and diversity metrics, commonality contributes to a growing body of scholarship developing “public good” rationales for digital media and machine learning systems.