Cultural and media studies articles from across Nature Portfolio

Settler states increasingly offer Indigenous peoples symbolic recognition, such as land acknowledgements, instead of political power or resources, yet the effects of these gestures are untested. Peyton and McNamee’s experiments in the USA and Australia find that land acknowledgements raise awareness of Indigenous peoples but reduce interest in learning more.

The concept of person holds a pivotal role in contemporary ethical, legal, and philosophical debates, yet its meaning has become increasingly fragmented. A notable feature of this fragmentation is the conceptual separation between “human being” and “person,” particularly in bioethical and legal contexts, where personhood is often defined in functionalist or psychological terms—such as self-awareness, autonomy, or relational capacity. These redefinitions resonate with broader cultural currents, including posthumanist tendencies that challenge the boundaries and identity of the human itself. This article argues that such views reflect a deeper philosophical rupture: the weakening of realist ontological accounts of the person. As a result, dignity is no longer viewed as intrinsic, but as contingent and variable, undermining moral protections for the most vulnerable human beings. In response, this study advocates a return to an ontologically grounded account of the person. Building upon the classical tradition of Boethius and Thomas Aquinas, and enriched by Leonardo Polo’s notion of the personal act of being, it proposes a framework in which personhood is understood as a subsistent reality rooted in being—not in capacities or social recognition. Polo’s metaphysical approach deepens the classical view by highlighting the structural link between being, freedom, and transcendence. The article defends the thesis that human dignity presupposes being: personhood is grounded in what a human being is rather than in what a human being is capable of doing. It argues that a realist metaphysical anthropology offers a stable and inclusive foundation for human dignity in contemporary bioethical discourse.

Settler states increasingly offer Indigenous peoples symbolic recognition, such as land acknowledgements, instead of political power or resources, yet the effects of these gestures are untested. Peyton and McNamee’s experiments in the USA and Australia find that land acknowledgements raise awareness of Indigenous peoples but reduce interest in learning more.

Artificial intelligence (AI) companions promise connection at low cost, but their effects are not evenly distributed. When user vulnerabilities, platform control loopholes, and governance gaps coincide, these systems risk deepening inequalities by exposing vulnerable users to more risks.

In socially influential fields such as elite sport, music, and film, cultural relevance is often invoked as a special moral status that exempts them from genuine emissions reduction. We argue that visibility and influence should raise, not lower, the bar for climate responsibility, and identify advocacy leverage points to advance action in these sectors.

In Singapore, a seat offered on the train and workers carried at the back of lorries changed how Ziheng Zeng understood both his own temporary place in the city and the different ways an orderly city carries those it asks to stay.

Storytelling is a valuable skill in public health, yet contemporary challenges, such as generative artificial intelligence, are on the rise. Here, we examine some of these challenges and present key strategies for moving storytelling forward as a public health competency.