France as a Vanguard in the Digital Era: Impacts of Influencers Activity Regulation on Instagram and the Construction of Digital Markets

• Grant number: 25/03382-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: November 01, 2025
• End date: April 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Sociology - Other specific Sociologies
• Principal Investigator: Maria Aparecida Chaves Jardim
• Grantee: Luana Estela di Pires
• Supervisor: Marie-France Garcia-Parpet
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências e Letras (FCL). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araraquara. Araraquara , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, France
• Associated to the scholarship: 22/11515-0 - Who composes, what capitals hold and what sells the virtual elite formed from Instagram: identifying and rooting the elite that forms the market via social networks, BP.DR

Abstract

This study investigates the regulation of digital influencers in France, with a focus on the recent LOI n° 2023-451, analyzing the sociopolitical context that culminated in its enactment and its impacts on the practices of these actors within social media environments. Under the supervision of Prof. Marie-France Garcia-Parpet (CESSP), the research is structured around two primary dimensions: (1) ethnographic observation of interactions among influencers, brands, and audiences at Parisian fashion fairs, and (2) contextual and documentary analysis of French legislation, exploring the political, social, and economic dynamics underpinning its formulation. Drawing on Pierre Bourdieu's theoretical framework-particularly his analysis of the international circulation of ideas-the study seeks to unravel the cultural and symbolic relations at play. Data will be collected through multi-sited ethnography to map power dynamics, market practices, and the global-scale exchange and adaptation of cultural ideas and practices. In dialogue with emerging approaches in digital sociology and economic sociology, the research aims to generate comparative insights between the French and Brazilian contexts, particularly given Brazil's current lack of sector-specific legislation.