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Meet the professors behind our program and discover the expertise, passion, and unique perspectives they bring to enrich your learning experience. Discover exclusive insights through our interview series of "10 Questions with..." where we engage professors in thoughtful conversations to share their expertise and passions. 

We spoke with Dr. Sophie Corbillé, Professor and Deputy Dean of CELSA, Sorbonne University in Paris, about her research at the intersection of anthropology, media, and globalization. She shared insights on how urban transformations, media representations, and cultural dynamics shape contemporary city life, and how these perspectives equip students to critically engage with global media and communication challenges. 

Dr. Corbillé, your research spans the intersection of anthropology, media, and globalisation. What inspired your interest in studying this topic? 

I developed my research at the crossroads of these three fields while working in urban environments, first in Paris, then later in Abu Dhabi, Santiago de Chile and Dubai. During my PhD in social anthropology, I studied the phenomenon of gentrification in Paris by conducting fieldwork in several neighbourhoods across the city. 

To analyse gentrification, it was also essential to look at how Paris was represented in the media through newspapers, films, novels and even tourist guides, which all contributed in some way to the city’s transformation. It also became clear that we needed to widen the lens: although gentrification takes shape locally, the forces driving it operate on a more global scale, especially given the growing competition among cities to attract people and investment in a globalised world. 

In short, to understand what it means, anthropologically speaking, to live in a city in the twenty-first century, whether that’s in Paris, Abu Dhabi, Santiago, or Dubai, we have to consider the media dimension of urban experience, and do so from a global perspective. 

Your recent book, La ville des enfants (The City of Children), examines the relationship between capitalism, industrial culture and childhood. How do you see these themes playing out in the globalised cities, which students at Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi may encounter? 

This book grew out of research I conducted in KidZania theme parks. This company runs around thirty franchised parks across the world, usually located inside upmarket shopping malls in major cities. The concept is simple yet fascinating: by pretending to work and consume within a miniature city, alongside “real” companies and brands, children are said to gain the “skills” they’ll need as they grow up. It’s a perfect example of what’s known as the “edutainment” industry. 

In the humanities and social sciences, research often focuses on adults, exploring how capitalism shapes the ways they consume, work and even experience emotions. Through this project, however, I wanted to turn attention to children and examine how the market, particularly through cultural industries, reaches them from an early age, both as future consumers and as potential workers. 

This research raises a series of ethical questions that concern us all: in globalised cities driven by consumption and work, how are we raising our children? What kinds of leisure opportunities surround them, and what are they learning from those experiences? Ultimately, what kinds of games are we offering them, and what kinds of adults might they become as a result? 

Your work on the exhibition of animals and the role of World's Fairs and theme parks in modern culture is fascinating. How do these spaces contribute to our understanding of societal values and the manipulation of public perception? 

Representations play a central role in shaping human societies. To put it another way, there can be no society without representations. However, these representations don’t just appear out of nowhere; they are produced by certain actors and then circulate and evolve through a wide range of media and cultural platforms. Together with my colleague, Emmanuelle Fantin, we’ve been exploring how animals have been represented in Europe since the nineteenth century, and how those representations continue to shape our relationships with them. 

We first focused on the World’s Fairs held in Paris and London during the nineteenth century. These events brought together many nations competing to display their inventions and industrial achievements. However, we also discovered that a surprising number of animals were featured, sometimes alive, and at other times dead, either stuffed or transformed into products. When we examined the exhibition catalogues, we came to see that animals occupied a complex position: on one hand, tied to the rise of industrial capitalism, which increasingly viewed them as “products” to be improved and exploited; and on the other, linked to the colonial imagination, where animals such as lions, camels, and elephants symbolised otherness or even the “wild” to be mastered. 

More recently, our work focused also on twenty-first century pet fairs, major events within the booming pet industry, where we encountered a very different portrayal. There, animals of all kinds (cats, dogs, chickens, snakes, guinea pigs, and more) are displayed and sold alongside a vast market of consumer goods like food, clothing and toys. Here, animals appear as living beings endowed with sensitivity, to be cared for and protected, with some (notably cats and dogs) even gaining the status of family members. As we can see, reflecting on our relationships with animals through the representations we create of them is another way of thinking about our societies and the ambivalences that shape them. 

You have a strong focus on urban anthropology and globalisation. What do you think are the most pressing challenges facing cities today, and how can students prepare to engage with these challenges through their studies in communication and anthropology? 

Large cities face numerous challenges within an increasingly urban and uncertain world, including political, social, security-related, health and, of course, environmental. Decision-making is always complex, and stakeholders must navigate many paradoxes. For example, how can a city remain attractive while reducing its carbon footprint? In this context, public and territorial communication play particularly important roles. 

Being an active participant in this world means being able to understand these issues, put challenges into perspective and think critically. These are precisely the kinds of skills that students in the MCM master’s programme develop through their courses, particularly those in the humanities and social sciences. 

Your expertise includes examining the media and press landscape in 19th-century Paris. How can understanding the historical relationship between media and urban development help students in their studies of modern global media and communication systems? 

Contemporary societies place great value on innovation and novelty. There is this idea that to be “modern” is to innovate, but we must never forget the long timescale, and the history of communication and media processes. A historical perspective allows for two things: first, to understand the real ruptures, or points where something changes significantly from what came before, to analyse them more clearly; and second, conversely, to reflect on the continuities, which help us put into perspective what we sometimes too quickly call “innovations.” 

As someone who teaches courses on semiology, communication, and the anthropology of globalisation, what do you believe are the key skills or insights that students need to succeed in today’s interconnected world? 

That’s an interesting question, and it could also be rephrased as: why do we teach? What do we hope to pass on? What kinds of knowledge are needed for the world of today and tomorrow? 

As a professor in the humanities and social sciences, specialising in communication and anthropology, I believe it’s important to teach several key things: understanding the complexity of contemporary worlds and, in particular, of communication processes (there is nothing more complex than communication itself, as the misunderstandings in our daily lives remind us); learning how to observe and analyse these processes with critical distance; and developing the ability to propose courses of action in a world marked by multiple crises, especially the ecological one. 

You’ve overseen master’s programs at CELSA, one of the top institutions for communication and journalism. What are the most valuable aspects of the CELSA programs that you believe will benefit students looking to pursue careers in global media and communication? 

CELSA offers high-quality programmes that combine knowledge from the humanities and social sciences with professional expertise, while encouraging critical thinking and openness in dialogue. This combination helps students build a strategic understanding of careers in global media and communication. 

We also prioritise small-group teaching with constantly updated course content to foster debate, reflection, and creativity. In this way, our programmes aim to be a time of personal growth, supporting students as they find their place in the world, begin their professional journey, and shape their future careers. 

Given your research focus, how do you see the future of tourism and cultural exchange in an increasingly digital and interconnected world? What should students understand about the role of media in shaping tourism experiences? 

This is a complex question, as it’s difficult to know exactly what the world of tomorrow will look like in a time marked by such uncertainty. We’re often caught in a linear view of history, one led by progress and innovation, but we know that reality is more complicated. Even as the world becomes increasingly interconnected and the circulation of people, goods, and information accelerates, we’re also witnessing opposite movements such closures, isolation, travel restrictions and even refusals to move or travel, often for clear ecological reasons. Similarly, while digital tools keep evolving, we might ask whether all these technologies will still be viable a few decades from now. 

So what does this mean for tourism? There can be no tourism without media or mediation. Tourist guides, objects like snow globes and souvenirs, photographs, travel stories as well as the texts and images shared on social networks all play an essential role. Globalisation and digitalisation pose several key questions for tourism — above all, how can media help create an “authentic” tourist experience (since authenticity remains a central value in the tourism industry), while at the same time producing a globalised product designed to circulate widely and appeal to diverse audiences? The answer to that question is not just economic, but also political. 

Your academic career has also been deeply intertwined with media, communication and cultural studies. How do you think the study of media and communication can help students better understand and address global ecological challenges? 

The ecological crisis is linked to many factors: our systems of production and consumption, the way we view our relationship with the environment, the belief that resources are limitless, to name a few. The challenges ahead are therefore immense if we are to change our ways of acting. Among the key levers for transformation are the stories we tell: what kinds of narratives can we create to promote a world that respects both the environment and humanity? This is where the media play a crucial role. As spaces for producing narratives, whether scientific, commercial, or cultural, they carry great responsibility. 

Alongside this question of media narratives, there is another reflection we share with students, concerning the materiality of media. The digitisation of media can create an illusion that media activity has no impact on the environment, yet we now know that the production of media and the devices that support them — computers, phones and more— has a major environmental footprint. In other words, studying communication and media also means questioning their ecological impact. 

Finally, as Deputy Dean of CELSA, you have a strategic role in shaping the future of communication studies. What are your aspirations for the next generation of media professionals, and how can students at Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi take advantage of the opportunities available to them at this prestigious institution? 

At CELSA, the leadership team works closely with all academic staff to continually update our training programmes, ensuring they remain aligned with developments in communication, media and the emerging challenges of these professions. 

As a teacher–researcher, I also know that we learn a great deal from our students. In that sense, the future of communication truly lies in their hands, and our role is to support them by listening to what they have to say and engaging thoughtfully with their questions. 

What I wish for them is to engage positively with the world, to find their place both professionally and personally and to contribute to projects that hold meaning and reflect the values they care about. For students joining the MCM master’s at Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, we encourage them to make the most of the programme: read widely, debate with their peers, think critically and with curiosity, and take every opportunity to meet inspiring teachers and professionals who are passionate about what they do. 

About Dr. Sophie Corbillé

Dr. Sophie Corbillé is a Professor and Deputy Dean of CELSA, Sorbonne University in Paris, and researcher at the GRIPIC (Groupe de recherches interdisciplinaires sur les processus d’information et de communication.) Dr. Corbillé is a renowned anthropologist whose research explores mediatisation devices that play an important role in the production of capitalist, urban and globalised societies, such as World's Fairs, territorial brands and theme parks. With Emmanuelle Fantin, she also works on the exhibition of animals from the 19th century to the present day. She is the author of Paris bourgeoise, Paris bohème. La ruée vers l'est (Pressens Universitaires de France, 2013) and Paris résidence secondaire (with S. Chevalier and E. Lallement, Belin/MSH, 2013.)

Dr. Corbillé also co-edited Paris, capitale médiatique. Ville et Presse au XIXème siècle (2022, Presses Universitaires de Vincennes.) Her latest book, La ville des enfants. Fantasmagorie d'un parc d'attraction globalisée (PUF, 2023), explores the relationship between capitalism, industrial culture and childhood, based on an investigation in Santiago, Chile and Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE.) Dr. Corbillé oversees master’s programs at CELSA where she also teaches courses in Urban anthropology and communication, tourism, semiology and anthropology, Anthropology of globalization, and Ecology, culture and media, among others. Dr. Corbillé holds a PhD in Social Anthropology from EHESS (École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales – School of Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences) and she is a graduate of Sciences Po, Paris.