Advanced Seminar: Platformization of Consumer Culture

Welcome to an open seminar on the theme Platformization of Consumer Culture with visiting scholar Alessandro Caliandro.

Alessandro Caliandro is a well-established researcher in digital sociology, with internationally recognized expertise in digital methods, digital culture, and platform studies. He is Associate Professor at the Università degli Studi di Milano and Senior Lecturer at the University of Pavia. His work is widely cited and has been particularly influential within digital ethnography and consumer culture research.

Caliandro’s research explores how digital platforms shape culture, consumption, and social life. His current work focuses on topics such as surveillance capitalism, algorithmic recommendation systems, and the methodological possibilities of studying digital environments through innovative digital methods. He collaborates extensively with researchers in Italy and internationally.

Selected publications include:

• Caliandro, A. (2018) “Digital Methods for Ethnography: Analytical Concepts for Ethnographers Exploring Social Media Environments”, Journal of Contemporary Ethnography.
• Arvidsson, A. and Caliandro, A. (2016) “Brand Public”, Journal of Consumer Research.
• Caliandro, A. (2014) “Ethnography in Digital Spaces”, in Handbook of Business Anthropology.
• Caliandro, A. (2024) “The Platformization of Consumer Culture: A Theoretical Framework”, Marketing Theory.
• Caliandro, A. (2025) “Follow the User: Taking Advantage of Internet Users as Methodological Devices”, Convergence.

The seminar will offer an opportunity to discuss contemporary transformations of consumer culture, platforms, and digital society, and will be of interest to researchers and students across media studies, sociology, marketing, consumer research, and digital humanities.

Arranged by the Department of Business Administration and Textile Management. 

Targeted at researchers, students as well as an interested public.