Research Profile

My research combines field theory and discourse analysis to examine how symbolic value and reputational hierarchies are produced. Empirically, my work has focused on the contemporary artworld by modelling symbolic economies between artists, institutions, participants and subject matter, and by analysing how the broader reputational economy of the artworld is realised through discourse. My current research expands this focus to look at how reputation is constructed through discourse in cultural fields.

Journal Publications

Journal Article. Soro, Tommie. 2023. “How Online Discourse Networks Fields of Practice: The Discursive Negotiation of Autonomy on Art Organisation about Pages.” Humanities and Social Sciences Communications 10 (1): 298. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-023-01748-1.

Soro, Tommie. ‘How Symbolic Value Is Constructed through Utterances: Discursive Power and Performances of Reputation in the Field of Online Art Magazines’. Poetics 89 (2021): 101572. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.poetic.2021.101572.

Journal Article. Soro, Tommie, Tim Stott, and Brendan K. O’Rourke. 2019. ‘The Rules of the Game: Discursive Norms and Limits in the Field of Online Art Magazines’. Social Semiotics, July, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/10350330.2019.1637997.

Conferences & Other Academic Outputs

Conference Paper. “Discursive Power and Discursive Markets” DiscourseNet 24, Université Saint-Louis, Brussels, Belgium, 2020

Reviewer. Palgrave Journal of Communication, Springer, 2019

Secondment. Real Smart Cities– A Marie Skłodowska-Curie RISE Action Programme. University of the Arts, Guayaquil, Ecuador, 2019

Seminar. “Reputational Discourse in the Artworld”. University of the Arts, Guayaquil, Ecuador, 2019

Citation. “Pierre Bourdieu’s Field Theory”, YouTube. Cited in “Fields of Practice: Symbolic Binding and the Qing defense of Sinocentric Diplomacy”, International Studies Quarterly, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1093/isq/sqz054

Conference Presentation, Discursive Norms in the Artworld's Reputational Economy, European Art Research Network (EARN) Conference, Dublin, Ireland, October 2018

Conference Presentation, The Discursive Construction of Artists, Giessen Graduate Center Annual Conference "Discourse, Power, Subjectivation", Giessen, Germany, September 2018

Session Chair, 20th International Conference for Contemporary Art Theory and History (ICCATH), Venice, Italy, June 2018

Conference Presentation, A Critical Discourse Analysis of the Construction of Artists' Reputation, 20th International Conference for Contemporary Art Theory and History (ICCATH), Venice, Italy, June 2018 

Panel Discussion,  Reputational Discourse in the Field of Contemporary Art, Research Pavilion, Venice, Italy, September 2017

Working Research Seminar, Reputational Discourse in Online Artworlds, Discourse Analysis Group, Dublin Institute of Technology, Dublin, Ireland, March 2017

Education

Technological Univeristy Dublin, Graduate School of Creative Arts and Media

Irish Research Council Postdoctoral Fellowship [2023-2024]

Technological Univeristy Dublin, Graduate School of Creative Arts and Media

PhD (dissertation passed with no corrections)

Vrije Universiteit

Certificate: Doing research with discourse analysis: A Discourse Perspective on Making Sense of Social Change

Lancaster University

Certificate: Corpus Linguistics: Method, Analysis, Interpretation

Dutch Art Institute

Master of Fine Arts

Dublin Institute of Technology

BA (Hons) Fine Art (1st class)

Colaiste Dhulaigh

Higher National Diploma Animation (Distinction)

Awards

Government of Ireland Postdoctoral Fellowship

Irish Research Council

Seal of Excellence Award

Marie Skłodowska-​Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship Application

Fiosraigh Dean of Graduate Students Award 2015

Dublin Institute of Technology 

Best Use of New Media 2012

Image Now Award

Contact

tommiesoro@gmail.com