Purpose This study explores the meaning of being multicultural among international graduates of English-language management programs in Poland. Additionally, it examines how these individuals perceive the opportunities and challenges their multicultural identity brings to their professional lives. Design/methodology/approach Eleven participants took part in two waves of semi-structured interviews, conducted two years apart, during which they created cultural identity maps as part of a reflexive interview exercise focused on their multiple cultural identities. Findings Most participants identified as bicultural or multicultural, though they differed in how certain they were about being multicultural and how they interpreted its meaning. Some strongly embraced their multicultural identity, while others viewed it as a dynamic process shaped by their environment and life experiences. Moreover, interviewees predominantly viewed their multicultural identity as beneficial in professional settings, highlighting enhanced adaptability, improved communication skills, and advantages in cross-cultural business interactions. Several graduates demonstrated cultural variability, consciously adjusting aspects of their cultural identities depending on the context, which served as a professional asset. However, some participants faced challenges related to adaptation or issues tied to gender and religion. Practical implications The study offers recommendations for educational institutions to develop multicultural competencies and for organizations to create enabling conditions that leverage the unique capabilities of multicultural employees. Originality/value These findings suggest that multicultural identity can serve as a strategic toolkit in professional settings, empowering individuals to navigate diverse workplace environments. However, its expression may be shaped by various social factors and organizational contexts.

Wild edible plants (WEPs) remain essential components of indigenous food systems, contributing to nutrition, healthcare, and cultural identity. This study explored the uses, cultural significance, and indigenous knowledge associated with WEPs among the Setswana-speaking people in Ngaka Modiri Molema and Bojanala Platinum districts of North West Province, South Africa. An ethnobotanical survey was conducted using semi-structured interview guide. We applied snowball technique to purposefully recruit 96 participants across 10 villages. The relative frequency of citation (RFC) was used to quantify and rank the WEPs utilised by Setswana-speaking communities. A total of 103 WEPs from 86 genera and 48 families were generated, which were dominated by Fabaceae (9 species), Asteraceae (7 species), Asparagaceae (6 species), Euphorbiaceae (6 species), Solanaceae (5 species) and Rubiaceae (5 species). Based on RFC values, Hypoxis obtusa Burch. ex Ker Gawl. (0.59), Amaranthus viridis L. (0.52), Ziziphus mucronata Willd. (0.46), Lippia javanica (Burm.f.) Spreng. (0.44), and Dicoma anomala Sond. (0.43) were the most consumed WEPs. In terms of uses, the recorded plants were catogrised as wild fruits (34 plants), wild vegetables (13 plants), beverage (7 plants), and healthcare food (50 plants). Roots (25%), leaves (24%) and fruit (23%), were the dominant plant parts. Preparation methods included decoction (58%), cooking (10%), pounding (9%), roasting and burning (4%), chewing (3%), fermentation and maceration (2%), and poultice (1%), while 7% of the plants were consumed fresh. Administration mode mentioned by the participants were categorised as oral (91%), topical (6%), snuffing (2%), and steaming (1%). Most of the WEPs are currently not under any conservation strains and generally abundant in the study areas. This study highlighted the vital role of WEPs and indigenous knowledge in supporting the cultural identity, food systems, and nutritional security among Setswana-speakers. Preserving this knowledge through their integration into food security, conservation, and rural development strategies, while engaging youth and promoting commercialisation, remains a key toward strengthening livelihoods, cultural heritage, and resilience.

ABSTRACT In culturally and linguistically diverse school settings, English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EAL/D) specialist teachers play a critical role in fostering equitable, socially just, and responsive learning environments. In Australia, EAL/D learners are students whose first language is not Standard Australian English (SAE) and who require targeted support to develop proficiency in SAE. This paper reports on a study examining EAL/D teachers’ reported pedagogical practices that nurture multilingual students’ plurilingual repertoires as acts of social justice. Framed through pedagogical judgement—encompassing action, reasoning, and responsibility—the study explored how teachers leveraged students’ cultural and linguistic resources as learning assets. Data were generated through in-depth semi-structured interviews with five EAL/D specialist teachers working with newly arrived Ezidi refugee-background students in a regional town in New South Wales. Findings indicate that teachers enacted inclusive, plurilingual practices grounded in strong pedagogical reasoning and a moral commitment to equity. Despite recognising persistent monolingual and deficit discourses, teachers actively challenged these narratives by affirming students’ linguistic and cultural identities.

The complex fabric of global cultures, shaped by multireligious, multicultural, and multilingual exchanges, encourages cross-cultural involvement and interchange among many groups. This diversity encourages shared appreciation and the pursuit of universal human goals, thereby promoting harmonious interactions. The Indian Christian women religious, specifically, embody such a dynamic, as their vocational duties frequently involve movement and subsequent integration into multiple contexts of culture, fostering cross-border interactions and exchanges. This qualitative research examines the transcultural encounters of Christian women religious from Karnataka, India, who frequently move within the country as well as overseas, in fulfillment of their pastoral responsibilities. Utilizing the transcultural framework, the study employs dialogical narrative analysis approach to identify the voices of Christian women religious situated in the in-depth interviews with six Roman Catholic nuns and Protestant women priests. The findings demonstrate how the Christian women religious actively negotiate their cultural identities, adopt coping mechanisms, and integrate into the society at large. The study reveals the transformational effects of cross-cultural contacts in multicultural, multilingual, and multireligious settings, allowing for a deeper understanding of the intricate intersection between culture, mobility, and identity. It divulges how mobility further contributes to the negotiation of cultural identities and fosters transculturality, highlighting how adaptable and dynamic cultural identities are when relocation occurs.

This qualitative study has three main goals. First, it gathers and reviews information and past research about the materials, production methods, design, and development of hand-woven fabrics in Northeastern Thailand. Second, it examines the region's unique identity and how it can be incorporated into fabric design and development. Third, it explores ways to design and develop hand-woven fabric products that reflect this local identity. The study focuses on hand-woven fabric entrepreneurs in Northeastern Thailand, with selected participants from Ubon Ratchathani and Amnat Charoen provinces. The results show that weaving in this region is a long-standing tradition with a strong cultural identity. Patterns are made using techniques such as continuous and discontinuous supplementary weft weaving, ikat, brocading, and plain weaving, alone or combined, to create a variety of unique designs. Design and development involve creating patterns based on local culture, promoting art and local identity, passing down traditional knowledge, and using technology and innovation in creative ways. The study highlights the importance of using local resources to improve the look, meaning, identity, and market value of products. Producers should consider four main factors: community resources, competitors, production abilities, and consumers or marketing. Local identity is divided into four types: natural environment, cultural heritage, craft knowledge, and beliefs or legends. Case studies of nine entrepreneurs who used natural environment themes identified five key points for product development: choosing the right techniques, making knowledge easy to share, using identity by choice, entrepreneur decision-making, and focusing on the market. Overall, satisfaction with the design and development results was very high (mean = 4.78).

ABSTRACT Narrative therapy conversations seek to develop and enrich the strengths, skills and values people hold that can be storied through wonderfulness interviews. The practice of wonderfulness interviews requires therapists to draw on decolonising discourses and resist discourses that may individualise and essentialise skills, values and attributes. Taking up a decolonising discursive position in Aotearoa New Zealand involves the ongoing restoration and uplifting of mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge). This article lays out a decolonising therapeutic approach, weaving Māori worldviews and narrative therapy in order to respond to two key questions. The first is how can we speak about the wonderfulness of rangatahi Māori (Māori young people) in ways that strengthen their cultural identity? The second, how can rangatahi take up the idea of a poho kererū (pride—see glossary for explanation) whilst also holding onto hūmārie/whakaiti (humbleness)? The article introduces Te Whare Pouhāpai (A House of Support), an approach to engage rangatahi alongside their whānau (family) in wonderfulness conversations. The approach has been developed alongside rangatahi and whānau Māori in both wharekura (Māori medium schools) and kura auraki (mainstream schools) but is still relevant for pākeke (adults). Central to this approach is the metaphorical use of te whare tūpuna (ancestral house), representing the influential figures in the life of rangatahi. The pou (posts/carvings) of the whare (house) become entry points for conversations that explore collective mana (strength, prestige and ability), uara (values), intergenerational knowledge, pūmanawa (skills passed down) and pūkenga (skills). The approach honours multiple forms of mana, recognising that identity and ability are shaped relationally, not individually. Whakataukī (proverbs), the metaphor of the whare tūpuna, and mātauranga Māori are presented to guide ways of understanding identity and wonderfulness. Together, these whakaaro (ideas/thoughts) construct an approach that can assist therapists to resist dominant discourses that individualise strengths, skills and wonderfulness.

ABSTRACT Black mothers in the United States have navigated disparaging portrayals and systems that often emphasize perceived deficits, with existing research frequently overlooking their role as vigorous advocates for their children’s education. This study combines scholarly self-narrative and a critical race feminist phenomenological inquiry to explore how Black mothers’ educational parenting strategies affirmed their daughters both during and beyond the coronavirus pandemic. By analyzing ten semi-structured phenomenological interviews—supplemented by memoing and participant artifacts—I uncovered Black mothers’ ethos of radical protection, which fostered their daughters’ resilience and educative success. Key themes in this study include school advocacy, love expressed through sacrifice, and the preservation of cultural and racial identities. The findings highlight Black mothers’ collective imagination, envisioning a humanizing educational landscape that collaborates with families to dismantle African American girls’ systematic subjugation. Amidst intense political turbulence and anti-Black, anti-woman rhetoric, this research offers theoretically grounded imperatives to help teachers meet diverse learners’ needs in these precarious sociopolitical times.

ABSTRACT Despite growing interest in the wellbeing of those with multiple marginalised identities, limited research focuses on how they navigate overlapping identities during emerging adulthood, a critical period for identity exploration and consolidation. This study examines how emerging adult LGBTQIA+ South Asian Australians (SAA’s) balance their cultural and queer identities to form their sense of self, through the lens of intersectionality. Eight emerging adults who identified as LGBTQIA+ and SAA were recruited through purposive sampling to participate in one-on-one semi-structured interviews exploring identity development and the influences that shaped this process. Using a constructivist grounded theory approach, emergent themes were refined to form the Developmental Trajectory Model (DTM). The DTM framework highlights three primary phases: (i) formative experiences, (ii) adult identity formation, and (iii) relational belonging, that participants experienced in relation to their intersecting identities, ultimately contributing to their identity formation. Participants discussed compartmentalising and integrating their identities at different points in time, and the advantages and challenges of managing aspects of their identity across contexts. This study provides insights into the experience and management of identity-related stress for emerging adult LGBTQIA+ SAA’s, and a framework for service providers and future researchers to understand these complexities and design appropriate interventions and supports.

Introduction. Direct detection of Borrelia burgdorferi by culture is considered the gold standard for confirming Lyme disease (LD). However, B. burgdorferi culture is not routinely used in clinical practice or research due to its lengthy protocol and low success rate. This study aimed to streamline the process by integrating a specific quantitative PCR (qPCR) screening early into the B. burgdorferi culture workflow for identification of cultures that are likely to yield viable spirochetes.Methods. Thirty-two blood plasma and 11 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples were collected from 32 children with serologically confirmed LD and incubated in modified Kelly-Pettenkofer medium for up to 9 weeks, with weekly assessments for viable spirochetes using microscopy. After 3 weeks, the presence of B. burgdorferi DNA in culture was assessed by qPCR targeting the B. burgdorferi flagellin B gene. The estimated copy number of the target template was compared to the assay's 95% limit of detection (LOD).Results. After 9 weeks of incubation, viable spirochetes were observed in 2 (n=2/32, 6.3%) plasma cultures and 3 (n=3/11, 27.3%) CSF cultures. These were only observed in cultures showing copy numbers above 95% LOD in qPCR testing at week 3 (n=2/3 plasma cultures, 66.7%; n=3/3 CSF cultures, 100.0%).Conclusion. Culturing B. burgdorferi is challenging and, despite a high workload, often not successful. qPCR may serve as an effective screening tool for B. burgdorferi cultures, enabling the culturing process to be streamlined by prioritizing cultures with target copy numbers exceeding the 95% LOD of the qPCR assay.

ABSTRACT This paper presents social work educators’ exploration of the intersection of social work education and practice, cultural responsiveness, and the impact of Korean cultural values, particularly through Korean dramas (K-dramas), in promoting social justice and enhancing cross-cultural understanding. As the U.S. population becomes increasingly diverse, social work education must adapt to equip future practitioners and educators with the skills necessary to engage with individuals from a wide range of cultural backgrounds. Korean Americans are a significant subgroup within the Asian American community and offer a unique perspective on the challenges of maintaining cultural identity while navigating social oppression as immigrants. The global popularity of K-dramas has created an opportunity to integrate these narratives into social work education, providing a platform for exploring mental health resilience, community connections, and systemic issues faced by marginalized groups. This paper discusses the innovative use of K-dramas in a Philadelphia-based workshop aimed at decentralizing Eurocentric social work frameworks. By exploring the role of K-dramas in promoting cultural responsiveness and addressing mental health issues, this paper highlights the potential for using multimedia storytelling as a powerful tool in social work education, particularly for engaging with the Korean American community and beyond.

ABSTRACT Balancing the preservation of historic areas with modernisation presents a challenge for cultural policy, urban planning and heritage management in emerging Gulf countries. This study examines heritage management and cultural policies in Qatar using UNESCO’s Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) approach in the case study of Education City. It focuses on heritage attributes, governance, and contemporary urban regeneration as symbolic practices that promote cultural value. This study employed a qualitative approach using visual and oral data, including historical maps, policy reviews, and spatiotemporal analyses. The findings reveal that heritage layers have transformed into modern landscapes after oil exploration, exacerbated by cultural amnesia and the demolition of historical sites. While Qatar has developed modern urban landscapes that exemplify dynamic cities, recent interest in incremental, culture-led urban regeneration has focused on sustainable heritage management and cultural identity to aggregate past, present, and future developments. Multidisciplinary cultural policies and implementations emphasise the integration of old and new urban assets to improve community interactions with heritage. Using this approach, while maintaining historic assets, can reinvigorate other heritage sites that are at various stages of disrepair.

In this paper, the author focuses on the ecological in South Asian literature in modern literature concerning environmental degradation and the climate change issue through the eco-critical prism. This paper focuses on four major works, specifically The Hungry Tide by Amitav Ghosh, The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy, Moth Smoke by Mohsin Hamid and Latitudes of Longing by Shubhangi Swarup, to evaluate how each of the writings portrays, as well as critiques ecological crises, especially as it concerns the marginalised communities. Through eco-critical ideas like slow violence and environmental justice, the paper will emphasise the fact that literature not only represents environmental effects of climate change, but it also emphasises the socio-political aspects of these problems. The discussion shows that the surroundings in these novels are not just mere spectators but key participants in the life of humans and have profound effects on cultural identity, social inequality, and political tussles. The research will help to prove the role of modern South Asian literature in the discussion of climate change, make readers rethink their relations with nature and the socio-political system that remains in place and promote environmental degradation.

ABSTRACT This study contributes to understandings about how UK mothers use social media practices to navigate, negotiate and enact family food provisioning. “Proper food” and “good mothering” remain entangled sociocultural conventions that govern a range of food provisioning practices. In the face of time pressures and the challenges of children’s fussy eating, we explore how mothers use social media to avoid misaligning their practice performances with these cultural ideals. Through our practice theoretic analysis of qualitative interviews and online forum discussion threads on Mumsnet, we illuminate three social media practices that represent the dynamic entanglement of mothering, food provisioning and social media interaction. Mothers attune food provisioning practices online to the conventions of “Proper food,” which includes admitting misdemeanors and seeking advice on how to attend to the collective governance of established conventions. Mothers collectively contest existing conventions through skillful negotiation, although in-so-doing invoking other “good mothering” conventions that limit the scope of the renegotiation. Finally, social media interactions displace “good mothering” by allowing mothers to demonstrate attentive love online, while severing this care from food provisioning. Our research advances our understanding of the role of social media practices in the everyday enactment of food provisioning by middle-class mothers.

Purpose This paper explores the relationship between populist rhetoric and political communication within the context of Dravidian politics in Indian politics. Populist rhetoric has been a strategic tool used by both national and regional party leaders, but here, we are specifying regional parties’ usage, particularly the Dravidian Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the All India Anna Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), to articulate issues of socio-economic inequality, equality in caste status, and linguistic and cultural Tamil identity? These include Conjeevaram Natarajan Annadurai (ANNA), Muthuvel Karunanidhi (Kalaignar), Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandran (MGR), and Jayaram Jayalalithaa (JJ & AMMA). They were key figures in the construction of these narratives, and Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin (Thalapathy) utilized their iconic status to cultivate an emotional attachment with the masses and grassroots support. Kalaignar is given special attention because his literary prowess, his theatrical skills and his rhetoric policy were of great use to reinforce the Dravidian ideals and consolidate his political legacy. It analyses the election manifestos, political speeches and public perceptions to understand recurring populist themes in the form of anti-elitism, welfare-oriented policies and identity-driven politics. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study incorporates document analysis, field surveys, semi-structured interviews and historical comparisons to trace the evolution of populist narratives within Dravidian politics. The findings indicate the dual nature of populist rhetoric, both mobilizing an apparatus for inclusive governance and potentially turning out to be the harbinger of societal polarization. Situating this with regional and global political contexts is exactly what this study will be adding to the debate on the dynamic interplay between identity, governance and democratic participation in Tamil Nadu and Indian politics. Design/methodology/approach In this paper, a mixed-method design is used to analysis the nexus between political party identification, welfare policies and electoral behavior in Tamil Nadu. Virudhunagar district has been chosen due to its high literacy rate, HDI (2017) ranking and prevalence of strong Dravidian parties (Dravidian Munnetra Kazhagam & AIADMK). The research uses quantitative surveys (210 people: 121 rural, 89 urban) and qualitative interviews. Stratified random sampling was used so that representation cut across income levels, grounded communities, gender and party platforms. Findings The findings indicate the dual nature of populism – both mobilizing an apparatus for inclusive governance and potentially turning out to be the harbinger of societal polarizations. Originality/value Situating this with regional and global political contexts is exactly what this study will be adding to the debate on dynamic interplay between identity, governance and democratic participation in Tamil Nadu, India.

This research reveals cultural identity crises in Jessica Hagedorn’s Dogeaters. As an American Book Award Winner, Hagedorn represents certain countries undergoing the crises through phenomena such as excessive consumerism, sexual and drug abuses, and corrupt government. This is a library research where all data are taken from the library through extensive reading and internet browsing, and applies socio-cultural and mimetic approaches. Mimetic approach proposing by Abrams views that literature is the imitation of the real world, while socio-cultural approach proposing by Grebstein assumes that literary works cannot be fully understood apart from the culture or milieu that produces it. Cultural identity crises is focused on consumerism, drug and sexual abuses, corrupt goverment shown through characters, plot, point of view, image, language, and references. This research finds that Jessica Hagedorn in her novel Dogeaters vividly and beautifully conveys cultural identity crises undergoing by the ex-colonized countries, besides, crises is the result of negative impacts of globalization.

ABSTRACT This paper examines the role of “civic” religion in shaping Athenian cultural identity during the early Hellenistic period, with a particular focus on how religion and symbolism were used to negotiate political realities and reinforce communal bonds. By analysing key events, such as the honours bestowed upon Demetrios Poliorketes at the liberation of Athens in 307 B.C.E., the study situates civic religion within the broader framework of cultural history, emphasising its role in solidifying identity and social cohesion during political upheaval. The Athenians honoured Demetrios and his father, Antigonos I, with divine honours for “restor(ing) the freedom to the people” (Diod. 20.46). The restoration of Athenian democracy provided an opportunity to integrate the Antigonids into Athenian civic traditions through a comprehensive programme of political and religious measures. This paper discusses the anchoring of the changes in narratives framed within the polis' civic context through a multifaceted approach that transcended the political and religious spheres, bringing together the polis' identity essentially its past, present needs, and future aspirations - where religion was understood as a natural extension of politics. The Greek polis, where religion and politics intertwine, provides the basis for considering the political-ideological foundations of the beginnings of civil religion.

The urban First Nations population in Australia is rapidly increasing. The health policy and research focus on urban First Nations Australians, however, is limited. To contribute to addressing this situation, The University of Queensland Poche Centre for Indigenous Health (UQ Poche Centre), a First Nations-led health research centre, is working closely with urban Aboriginal Community-Controlled Health Services (ACCHS) across Australia. Our study examined urban ACCHSs stakeholders' perspectives of the health and wellbeing of urban First Nations Australians and identified their priorities for a national Indigenous urban health research agenda. Ten stakeholders were recruited for in-depth interviews from ACCHS that were members of the Research Alliance for Urban Community-Controlled HealthServices (RAUCCHS), a partnership between the UQ Poche Centre and urban ACCHS focused on achieving equitable health outcomes for urban First Nations Australians. Six stakeholders identified as First Nations Australians. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Interview data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Stakeholders highlighted a lack of research focused on the health of urban First Nations Australians.Specific priority areas they identified for an urban First Nations health research agenda were:evaluating the effectiveness and adaptability of Indigenous models of care, strengthening care pathways between ACCHS and specialist services, examining the intersection of cultural identity, racism and determinants of health, and greater investment in Indigenous research governance structures and processes. There is a clear opportunity for researchers to engage with RAUCCHS members to establish a body of urban First Nations health research in Australia that responds to their research priorities.

Ragi Mudde, a traditional preparation from finger millet (Eleusine coracana), is a culturally and nutritionally significant staple of Karnataka, India. Millets like ragi are highly nutritious, drought-resistant and adaptable to semi-arid conditions, making them vital for food security and sustainable agriculture. Ragi Mudde is not only a source of carbohydrates, calcium, iron and dietary fiber but also an integral part of Karnataka’s culinary heritage, reflecting rural traditions, agrarian lifestyles and local cultural identity. The study analyzed traditional preparation methods, physicochemical properties and nutritional composition of Ragi Mudde. Ragi flour of varying particle sizes (150 μm, 300 μm, 450 μm, 600 μm, 750 μm) was used to prepare Ragi Mudde following conventional cooking techniques. Physical, chemical and functional properties such as bulk density, water absorption, moisture content, fat content and ash content were measured. The work was conducted at RNS Institute of Technology during 2025. Particle size of ragi flour significantly influenced the physicochemical characteristics of Ragi Mudde. Bulk density decreased while water absorption, moisture content, fat and ash content increased with coarser flour. Ragi Mudde prepared from finer flour had denser texture, while coarser flour yielded softer and more water-absorbent mudde. Nutritionally, Ragi Mudde was a rich source of calcium, iron, dietary fiber and moderate protein, supporting energy needs and overall health. Ragi Mudde is a culturally significant, nutrient-dense functional food that embodies the culinary heritage of Karnataka. Its preparation methods, nutritional value and adaptability highlight the relevance of traditional millet-based diets in contemporary nutrition and sustainable food systems. Preservation and promotion of Ragi Mudde can support and provide a sustainable, health-promoting dietary option for modern and traditional populations alike.

Introduction: Traditional food plays a vital role in the health and cultural identity of Indigenous populations worldwide. However, little is known about whether the traditional food of the Sámi (the only Indigenous people in the European Union) is associated with positive physical and mental health outcomes. This study examines the relationship between the consumption of traditional Sámi food - specifically reindeer and elk meat - and self-perceived physical and mental health among older Sámi adults in Sweden. Methods: Using data from the 2021 SámiHET survey (n = 3,617), we analysed the consumption of traditional meat alongside health outcomes across different age and sex groups. Logistic regression models were used to assess associations between frequent consumption of reindeer or elk meat (more than once per week) and self-reported poor physical health or poor mental wellbeing. Results: Although consumption of traditional meat declined slightly among the Sámi aged 75 and over, it remained significantly higher than the national average. Women and older adults reported lower intake than men and younger participants. Frequent consumption of reindeer or elk meat was associated with lower odds of poor mental wellbeing across all subgroups, even after adjusting for age, sex, education, and income. Conclusion: These findings suggest that traditional Sámi food is associated with improved mental wellbeing, particularly among older Sámi adults. However, as this is a cross-sectional study, the association cannot be interpreted as causal. The underlying link may relate to the cultural significance of traditional foods. In this context, food could also serve as a proxy for cultural strength, a factor that previous research has identified as being important for the mental health of Indigenous peoples. Further research is needed to clarify the mechanisms behind these associations.

This study focuses on serious games for intangible cultural heritage (ICH) empowered by augmented reality (AR) technology, aiming to explore the mechanism by which spatial interaction experiences in immersive AR games influence cultural cognition and communication intention. An experimental design was adopted involving a treatment group (n = 60) and a control group (n = 60), with empirical validation conducted through pre- and post-tests of knowledge, Likert-scale questionnaires, and SmartPLS path analysis. A structural equation model was constructed around the pathway of “spatial interaction → cultural cognition → emotional involvement → communication intention,” incorporating the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), perceived sustainability cognition (PSC), and cultural identity (CI) as contextual antecedents of cognitive and affective processes. Results show that spatial interaction significantly enhances cultural cognition. Among all paths, the direct influence of cultural cognition on communication intention was the strongest. While emotional engagement did not form a full mediation, it positively contributed to the transformation of cognition. Both PSC and CI exhibited positive associations with the cognitive–affective pathways, complementing the effects of spatial interaction. Although multi-group analysis (MGA) did not reveal statistically significant differences, the path coefficients of the experimental group were consistently higher than those of the control group, indicating a positive trend. This study validates the cognitive mechanisms and dissemination potential of AR-based serious games in ICH education and cultural promotion, expands the integrated modeling of TPB, PSC, and CI, and provides theoretical support and practical implications for the development of immersive cultural communication systems and interactive experience design.