The Interdisciplinary Function of Training: A Scoping Review on Training Culture

Originating in the field of sport, “training” has evolved into a context shifting concept relevant across multiple disciplines and fields of practice. From a sociological systems theory perspective, this article analyzes training as a semantic concept that shapes communication in various social domains such as sport, medicine, and administration. Within these domains, however, the concept of training is recontextualised in distinct ways. The present study examines training and training culture across diverse fields and academic disciplines. Using a scoping review approach, we identified 67 scholarly publications addressing the notion of “training culture”. Through thematic analysis of these publications, we explored similarities and differences in how training culture is conceptualized and what social function it fulfills. Our findings suggest that training culture can be understood as an expression of a shared functional capacity. Across different organizational contexts, such as sport, medicine, business, and education, training consistently appears as a communicative form that stabilizes performance orientation and developmental aims. Nevertheless, the specific functional contributions of training vary across contexts.