Artificial Intelligence, Cultural Identity, and Algorithmic Representation: A Comparative Analysis of Digital Media Governance in Japan and the United States
The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence technologies within digital media ecosystems has transformed contemporary processes of cultural representation, identity formation, and public communication. Algorithmically mediated platforms increasingly shape how cultural narratives circulate, how visibility is distributed, and how individuals negotiate social belonging within digitally networked societies. This article investigates how artificial intelligence-driven media systems influence cultural identity and algorithmic representation through a comparative analysis of Japan and the United States. Although both countries possess globally influential digital industries and advanced technological infrastructures, they demonstrate significantly different cultural traditions, governance models, and media communication environments. Drawing on digital humanities, cultural sociology, media studies, and comparative institutional analysis, this study examines how algorithmic systems mediate cultural visibility, symbolic power, and identity politics within contemporary digital societies. The findings demonstrate that artificial intelligence-driven communication environments are not culturally neutral technologies but socio-technical systems shaped by institutional governance, commercial incentives, historical narratives, and cultural norms. In Japan, algorithmic media environments are strongly influenced by collectivist communication traditions, platform moderation cultures, and hybrid forms of digital participation emphasizing social harmony and mediated anonymity. In the United States, digital media ecosystems operate within highly individualized and commercially competitive communication structures characterized by ideological polarization, expressive identity politics, and platform-driven visibility economies. This article contributes to contemporary social sciences and humanities scholarship by integrating digital humanities, cultural theory, and comparative media governance analysis to explain how artificial intelligence reshapes cultural representation and public legitimacy within networked societies. The study further develops a conceptual framework linking algorithmic visibility, identity construction, institutional mediation, and socio-cultural outcomes in contemporary digital public spheres.
artificial intelligence, digital media, cultural identity, algorithmic governance, comparative media studies, Japan, United States, digital humanities, platform society, representation
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Climate Anxiety, Digital Media, and Youth Political Mobilization: A Comparative Analysis of Environmental Activism in Sweden and Australia
The intensification of climate change has transformed environmental politics into one of the most significant socio-political and cultural challenges of the twenty-first century. Across contemporary societies, younger generations increasingly experience climate change not merely as an environmental issue but as a psychological, ethical, and political crisis affecting identity, institutional trust, and future social stability. Simultaneously, digital communication platforms have reshaped how environmental activism, political discourse, and collective mobilization emerge within networked public spheres. This article investigates how digital media environments influence climate anxiety and youth political mobilization through a comparative analysis of Sweden and Australia. Although both countries possess advanced democratic institutions and active environmental movements, they demonstrate substantially different political cultures, media narratives, and climate governance trajectories. Drawing on comparative political sociology, environmental humanities, digital media studies, and affect theory, this study examines how institutional discourse, media representation, and digital communication systems shape environmental activism among younger generations. The findings demonstrate that climate anxiety functions not only as an individual psychological condition but also as a socially mediated emotional structure connected to political legitimacy, cultural identity, and institutional trust. In Sweden, climate activism is strongly integrated into broader civic participation traditions and sustainability-oriented governance discourse. In Australia, environmental mobilization develops within a more polarized political environment shaped by extractive economic structures, contested climate narratives, and uneven institutional responses. This article contributes to social sciences and humanities scholarship by integrating environmental sociology, digital communication analysis, and comparative democratic theory to explain how digital publics mediate relationships between ecological crisis, emotional experience, and political participation. The study further proposes a conceptual framework linking climate discourse, affective mobilization, institutional mediation, and democratic transformation within contemporary digital societies.
climate anxiety, digital activism, youth political participation, environmental humanities, comparative politics, Sweden, Australia, digital media, environmental governance, public discourse
Artificial Intelligence, Educational Inequality, and Human Capital Transformation: A Comparative Study of Digital Learning Governance in Singapore and the United Kingdom
The rapid integration of artificial intelligence technologies into educational systems has transformed pedagogical practices, institutional governance, and human capital development across contemporary societies. While digital learning infrastructures are increasingly promoted as mechanisms for educational modernization and social inclusion, substantial concerns persist regarding inequality, algorithmic governance, surveillance, and uneven access to technological resources. This article investigates how artificial intelligence-driven educational transformation shapes educational inequality and human capital development through a comparative analysis of Singapore and the United Kingdom. Although both societies possess advanced technological infrastructures and globally competitive educational systems, they demonstrate significantly different governance models, policy priorities, and institutional approaches toward digital learning. Drawing on comparative education studies, digital sociology, public policy analysis, and human capital theory, this study examines how institutional structures mediate relationships between artificial intelligence adoption, educational access, social stratification, and student participation. The findings demonstrate that artificial intelligence in education functions not merely as a technological innovation but as a socio-political mechanism reshaping institutional authority, pedagogical interaction, and knowledge production. In Singapore, centralized governance and state-coordinated digital policy frameworks facilitate highly integrated educational modernization strategies emphasizing efficiency, national competitiveness, and technological adaptation. In the United Kingdom, market-oriented educational reforms and institutional decentralization generate more fragmented patterns of technological implementation characterized by unequal resource distribution and divergent institutional capacities. This article contributes to contemporary social sciences and humanities scholarship by integrating educational sociology, digital governance studies, and comparative institutional analysis to explain how artificial intelligence reshapes educational inequality within advanced digital societies. The study further develops a conceptual framework linking digital governance, institutional mediation, educational participation, and long-term human capital transformation.
artificial intelligence, educational inequality, digital learning, comparative education, human capital, educational governance, Singapore, United Kingdom, digital society, public policy
Migration, Digital Identity, and Urban Belonging: A Comparative Study of Syrian Refugee Integration in Germany and Canada
Contemporary migration flows have transformed the social, cultural, and political composition of urban societies across the Global North, generating new debates concerning integration, identity formation, digital communication, and institutional belonging. This article investigates how digital communication environments shape refugee integration and urban belonging among Syrian refugees in Germany and Canada. Although both countries have implemented humanitarian migration policies and multicultural integration frameworks, they demonstrate divergent institutional approaches toward citizenship, public discourse, urban governance, and socio-cultural inclusion. Drawing on comparative migration studies, digital sociology, urban anthropology, and critical cultural theory, this study examines how refugees negotiate identity, participation, and social inclusion within digitally mediated urban environments. The findings demonstrate that digital platforms function simultaneously as mechanisms of social support, transnational continuity, cultural preservation, and institutional navigation. However, comparative evidence indicates that institutional structures significantly influence the extent to which digital participation contributes to social integration or reinforces parallel social boundaries. In Germany, integration experiences are strongly shaped by bureaucratic institutionalism, linguistic assimilation expectations, and polarized public discourse surrounding migration. In Canada, multicultural policy frameworks and community-based settlement institutions facilitate comparatively stronger narratives of civic inclusion, although socio-economic inequalities and racialized exclusion remain significant. This article contributes to contemporary social sciences and humanities scholarship by integrating migration theory, urban studies, digital communication analysis, and identity research within a comparative interdisciplinary framework. The study further develops a conceptual model linking digital connectivity, institutional mediation, urban belonging, and refugee civic participation in contemporary multicultural societies.
migration, refugee integration, digital identity, urban belonging, multiculturalism, Syrian refugees, comparative sociology, Germany, Canada, digital society
Digital Public Spheres, Collective Identity, and Democratic Participation: A Comparative Analysis of Youth Political Engagement in South Korea and Germany
The rapid expansion of digital communication technologies has transformed contemporary democratic participation, public discourse, and collective identity formation across diverse political and cultural environments. This article investigates the relationship between digital public spheres, youth political engagement, and institutional trust through a comparative analysis of South Korea and Germany. While both countries possess advanced digital infrastructures and highly educated populations, they demonstrate substantially different trajectories of civic participation, political communication, and digitally mediated democratic mobilization. Drawing on comparative institutional analysis, digital discourse studies, and interdisciplinary social theory, this study examines how technological ecosystems interact with historical political cultures, media structures, and governance frameworks to shape youth engagement in democratic processes. The findings demonstrate that digital participation is not merely a technological phenomenon but is deeply embedded within socio-cultural traditions, institutional legitimacy, and collective memory. In South Korea, digitally networked activism reflects historically rooted mobilization cultures associated with democratization movements and participatory citizenship. In Germany, digital participation is more strongly mediated through institutional trust, regulatory frameworks, and deliberative democratic norms. Comparative evidence further indicates that algorithmic communication environments intensify political polarization, transform civic identities, and reshape public legitimacy in both contexts, although through distinct institutional mechanisms. This article contributes to social sciences and humanities scholarship by integrating comparative political sociology, digital media studies, and democratic theory to explain how digital infrastructures influence civic participation and institutional transformation. The study further proposes a conceptual framework linking digital communication, identity construction, institutional mediation, and democratic outcomes within contemporary societies.
digital society, democratic participation, youth political engagement, comparative politics, public sphere, collective identity, digital media, South Korea, Germany, political communication