Patrick Courrielche
In 2015, Courrielche wrote a long form story "St. Nicholas: The Birth Of A Social Weapon" on the origin of Santa Claus and introduced the concept of a "social weapon" - a packaged idea, message, or product that is used by an individual or group to advance their cause. Courrielche argued that New York City elites crafted Santa Claus from St. Nicholas, a widely known patron saint, to stabilize a city plagued by annual misbehavior every December. Santa Claus was then used as a "social weapon" by merchants, craftsman, city rulers, parents, newspapers, and others to benefit their endeavors. The essay was added to the St. Nicholas Center's resource on the Origin of Santa Claus.
Santa Claus in film
The animated film, "Arthur Christmas", portrays being Santa Claus as a dynasty. The first "Santa", Saint Nicholas, established the North Pole workshop and passes the title and responsibilities to his son after 70 Christmases, after which his son will pass them on to his son, and so on. In the film, the current Santa initially refuses to retire due to worry about what he will be if he isn't Santa.