UL researcher receives prestigious award for research on the power of the fitness influencer economy
University of Limerick’s Dr Louise Ryan has been awarded the Irish Journal of Sociology’s (IJS) annual Distinguished Article Award, marking a significant achievement for the UL sociology community.
Dr Ryan’s winning paper, titled ‘Instagram, influencers and followers: Towards a feminist Foucauldian–Deleuzian sociology of algorithmic bio-power in the online economy,’ was singled out by judges for its "unique contribution" to our understanding of the digital landscape.
The award-winning research tackles one of the most influential forces in modern youth culture: the Instagram fitness economy.
It establishes a fresh theoretical framework to analyse the complex, three-way relationship between Instagram fitness influencers, the platform’s technical infrastructure, and the followers who engage with their content.
By exploring why certain figures gain such immense popularity and the impact that popularity has on millions of young followers, Dr Ryan introduces the concept of ‘algorithmic bio-power'.
This term captures how Instagram’s invisible recommendation systems dictate which bodies, aesthetics, and behaviors gain visibility and which are marginalised.
Dr Ryan asserts that fitness influencers act as "aesthetic entrepreneurs", who must continuously discipline their own bodies and content to remain legible to the platform’s algorithm, while followers are drawn into this same regulatory logic through the content they consume and emulate.
Rather than treating influencers as straightforwardly powerful or exploited, Dr Ryan’s research maps the negotiated, often contradictory ways power, resistance, and self-presentation operate in the influencer economy.
Dr Martin Power, Head of UL’s Department of Sociology, said: “Dr Ryan’s work offers sociologists a much-needed conceptual toolkit for studying digital platforms as active participants in shaping gendered embodiment, opening new directions for research on health, wellness, and online culture.”
Reflecting on the honour, Dr Ryan expressed her gratitude to the mentors and peers who supported her research:
"I would like to acknowledge the support of Dr Carmen Kuhling, whose unwavering encouragement has shaped my work since beginning my PhD in UL.
“And to the reviewers who took the time to engage seriously with the paper and whose feedback encouraged me to keep writing — thank you. Recognition of this kind is built on the time and care of other scholars, and I am very grateful."
