A journal on the sociology of work
Traversées has been running since 2023. We investigate what technology is doing to creative work and marketing by observing work as it happens, rather than commenting on announcements.
Who writes here
Lisa Amari
PhD in the sociology of work. Paris-Saclay University.
Works on the marketing departments of mid-sized companies and on how content production tasks are shared out. Ran a longitudinal study of eleven companies between 2022 and 2026. Convenes the Work and Automation seminar.
Marketing, measuring work, organisation
Rania Bouabdallah
PhD in the sociology of work. Paris-Saclay University.
Defended her thesis in 2023 on the reshaping of graphic design work inside independent agencies. Six years of fieldwork in design studios, mainly in Lyon, Nantes and Brussels. Teaches the sociology of occupations at master's level.
Creative occupations, the studio, aesthetic judgement
Our method
Four commitments we have kept since the first issue, and that we restate in every text they apply to.
Fieldwork before argument
We only open a subject once we have carried out at least fifteen interviews. A text that rests on reading alone is flagged as such under the Analysis section.
People review what concerns them
Anyone quoted receives their quotations before publication and may ask for them to be withdrawn. We do not grant any right of review over the analysis itself.
The limits are written down
A sample of eleven companies is not a sector. Every quantitative text states what its figures do not allow anyone to conclude.
No funding from the industry we cover
The journal lives on its subscriptions and on two public research grants. We accept neither sponsored content nor commissioned work from companies.
The data is published alongside the texts
Every quantitative investigation comes with its anonymised dataset and its protocol. Openly licensed, free to reuse with attribution.
Staff records, eleven companies
2022 to 2026, anonymised data, CSV format
Panel of web copywriters
2021 to 2026, self-reported rates and volumes, CSV format
Coding frame for agency interviews
Codebook and interview guide, PDF format
You work in these jobs and something has shifted
We are always looking for new fieldwork. Writing to us commits you to nothing, and every preliminary exchange stays confidential.
Write to the editors