Violaine Roussel (English version)
Professor of Sociology, University of Paris VIII | vroussel@univ-paris8.fr
Head of the "Culture & Politics" Master Program, Department of Political Science, University of Paris 8
Research Center : CRESPPA-Labtop, Centre de Recherches Sociologiques et Politiques de Paris, UMR 7217
Co-editor of the “Culture & Society” book series, Presses Universitaires de Vincennes
Coordinator of the FACTA Research Network (Franco-Chinese Network on the Transformation of Audiovisual Industries | MSH Paris Nord)
Areas of Interest :
Sociology of cultural industries ; Transformation of entertainment industries in the streaming era ; Media and technology
Work and occupations in the film and television industries ; The production of popular culture (Data specialists in film & TV industries, Production and brokerage in entertainment industries)
International comparison (USA/China) ; Globalization and transnational circulations
Recent videos
Interview on Red : "Streaming media rise and influence : from Hollywood to Chinese streamers, how data shapes content" (in English, with Chinese subtitles) | 采访，小红书《流媒体崛起与影响 : 从好莱坞到流媒体,数据分析如何影响内容》, 赛琳娜的记录 (英语，中文字幕)
"Hollywood Data Specialists & the Reshaping of Production Logics," Labex ICCA, International Seminar, MSH Paris Nord, April 12, 2024
Moderator, Panel 1 "Innovation in Content Strategy," International conference Transforming Hollywood 11 : Storytelling & Technology, Dec. 1st ; 2023
Publications
Books & Edition of Special Issues in Peer-Reviewed Journals
2026, in press, Data-Driven Hollywood. The New Data Professionals in the Age of Streaming, Princeton University Press
2025. Special Issue "Film & TV Occupations and Industries in the Age of Digital and Streaming/Métiers et filières de l’audiovisuel à l’épreuve du numérique et du streaming" (ed.). Biens Symboliques | Symbolic Goods, 17.
2019. Art et Contestation aux États-Unis. Ed. Presses Universitaires de France/La Vie des Idées.
2019. Penser les frontières sociales. Enquêtes sur l’engagement, la culture et la politique, Ed. with Lilian Mathieu. Presses Universitaires de Lyon.
2017. RepresentingTalent : Hollywood Agents and the Making of Movies, University of Chicago Press.
Translated in Korean, 2019
2016. How to Do Politics with Art, ed., with A. Banerji, Routledge.
2015. Brokerage and Production in the American and French Entertainment Industries.Invisible Hands in Cultural Markets, ed., with D. Bielby, Lanham : Lexington Books, 220 p.
2015. “Usages politiques de la forme procès” ed., with V. Codaccioni et D. Puccio-Den, Droit et Société, 1(89), 222 p.
2011. Art vs War. Les artistes contre la guerre en Irak, Paris : Presses de Sciences Po, 316 p.
2010. Voicing Dissent.American Artists and the War on Iraq. With B. Lechaux. London-New York : Routledge, 304 p.
2010.Les artistes et la politique. Terrains franco-américains, ed., Paris : Presses universitaires de Vincennes, 304 p.
Translated in : “Arts and Politics. A French-American Perspective.” International Journal of Politics, Culture and Society, Special Issue, 23(2-3), 2010, p. 57-190.
2009. “Malaise dans la representation”, ed., with A. Boutaleb, Sociétés contemporaines, n. 74, p. 5-120.
2002. Affaires de juges. Les magistrats dans les scandales politiques en France, Paris : La Découverte, 310 p.
Articles in Peer-Reviewed Journals & Book Chapters in English
Forthcoming, "Data Specialists in Hollywood and the Redefinition of Production Roles." In Simon Rogerson & Laura Robinson (eds.), Handbook of Digital Social Science, Edward Elgar Establishing.
Forthcoming, “The Invention of Digital Agenting and the Transformation of Entertainment.” In Mann Denise (ed.), Content Wars : Pipelines and Platforms, UC Press.
2025, "Data Science Versus a Sense of Talent ? The Rise of a New Division of Labour in Content Definition in Hollywood." Symbolic Goods, 17.
2025, "The Impact of Streaming on Occupations in Film and Television : Context and Key Questions." Symbolic Goods, 17.
2016, “How Hollywood Agents Do Politics.” In Roussel V. and Banerji A. eds.. How to Do Politics with Art, London/NY, Routledge, 166-191.
2016, “Introduction.” With A. Banerji. In How to Do Politics with Art, London/NY, Routledge, 1-20.
2016. “Talent Agenting in the Age of Conglomerates.” In Curtin (M.), Sanson (K.) eds., Precarious Creativity, Oakland : UC Press, 86-100.
2015. “Cultural Brokerage in the French and American Film and Television Industries”. With D. Bielby. In Roussel (V.) and Bielby (D.) eds., Brokerage and Production in the American and French Entertainment Industries : Invisible Hands in Cultural Markets, Lanham : Lexington Books, 1-14.
2015, “’It’s not the network, it’s the relationship.’ The Relational Work of Hollywood Talent Agents.” In Roussel (V.) and Bielby (D.) eds., Brokerage and Production in the American and French Entertainment Industries : Invisible Hands in Cultural Markets, Lanham : Lexington Books, 103-122.
2013, “Celebrities and Politics : Representation Struggles in Public Arenas.” In Wejnert (B.) ed., Voices of Globalization. Research in Political Sociology (Volume 21), Emerald Group Publishing, 127–148.
2010, “Introduction : Artists and Politics, a French-American Perspective,” International Journal of Politics, Culture and Society, 23 (2-3) : 63-68.
2010, “Making a Political Movie That Does Not Take a Political Stand : Specialization and Depoliticization in American Cinema”, International Journal of Politics, Culture and Society, 23 (2-3) : 137-155.
2010, “For a Sociology of Committed Professionals”, Sociologie du Travail, special issue in English, Vol. 52, Supplement 1 : 64-82.
2007, “Occupational Logics and Political Commitment. American Artists against the Iraq War”, International Political Sociology, 1 (4) : 373-390.
2003, “New Moralities of Risk and Political Responsibilities”, in Ericson (R.V.), ed., Risk and Morality, Toronto, University of Toronto Press, p. 117-144.
2002, “Changing Definitions of Risk and Responsibility in French Political Scandals”, Journal of Law and Society, Volume 29 (3) : 461-486.
Articles in Peer-Reviewed Journals & Book Chapters in French (selection)
2025, "La science des données contre le sens du talent ?L’essor d’une nouvelle division du travail de définition des contenus à Hollywood", Biens Symboliques, vol 17, décembre 2025
2025, "Ce que le streaming fait aux métiers de l’audiovisuel : contexte et enjeux", Biens Symboliques, vol 17, décembre 2025
2023, "Faire sens de la transformation numérique d’Hollywood. Naissance et métamorphoses du digital agenting", Sociologie du Travail, vol. 65, n° 2, avril-juin 2023
2022, “Entre pouvoir relationnel et pouvoir positionnel : les agents artistiques d’Hollywood.” In Katalin Por et al. (eds.) Les échelles de la création cinématographique. L’individu, le collectif et l’industrie, Paris : Éditions de l’AFRHC.
2018, “Nancy Wang Yuen, Reel Inequality : Hollywood Actors and Racism.” Sociologie du travail, 60 (2), online
2018, “Comment le monde vacille ou tient ? Liaisons et ruptures intersectorielles” With A. Boutaleb, in Brigitte Gaïti and Johanna Siméant (eds.), La consistance des crises, Rennes, Presses Universitaires de Rennes, 113-130.
2015, “Une économie des émotions. Le travail de relation des agents artistiques à Hollywood.” La nouvelle revue du travail, 6, online.
2014, “Les agents artistiques américains : des intermédiaires de marché ?” in Laurent Jeanpierre and Olivier Roueff (eds.). De nouveaux créateurs ? Intermédiaires des arts, des industries culturelles et des contenus numériques, Paris : Editions des Archives Contemporaines, 97-112.
2011, “Rationalisation professionnelle versus politisation ? Rapports aux mobilisations dans les espaces artistiques contemporains aux Etats-Unis.” OPUS-Sociologie de l’art, 16 : 17-57.
2010, “‘Faire un film politique qui ne prend pas de position politique’ : spécialisation et dépolitisation dans l’espace du cinéma américain.” in V. Roussel (ed.), Les artistes et la politique. Terrains franco-américains, Paris, PUV, 157-187.
Leadership in international research projects ; international activities (recent)
Visiting Professor, Peking University, School of Arts, Beijing, China (Sept.-Nov. 2025/March-June 2025)
Research Scholar, UCLA, School of Theater, Film & Television (2020-2024)
Coordinator of the TREND Network (Transforming Entertainment in the Digital age), IRN CNRS (2019-2023) ; Partnerships : USC (School of Cinematic Arts), UCLA (School of Theater, Film and Television), UCSB (Film and Media Studies), University of Paris VIII, CNRS (French National Agency for Scientific Research)
