What is a political influencer? A social field theory approach
Keywords:
influencer, political influencer, social media, political communication, social field, attention economy, sociology of emotionsAbstract
Political social media influencers (PSMIs) are a growing object of study in sociology, although they remain ambiguously defined. This paper analyses their practices to differentiate them from professional politicians active on social media. Drawing on Bourdieu and Lordon's theoretical framework, it examines how PSMIs accumulate “metric visibility” as a form of capital within a social field characterised by a specific affective regime. Based on twenty interviews with Spanish PSMIs, three types of dynamics were identified: engaging in “metric euphoria”, which generates illusio (commitment to the play of the field) and the aspiration to transform visibility into political influence; prioritising creative autonomy, by resisting integration into formal organisations; and relying on their visibility capital to secure opportunities in media or within political structures, unlike politicians.
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