Speaker

Name: Games for Health Europe Conference
Start: 2026-03-30T09:00
End: 2025-03-31T18:00

Speaker Info

Biography: Marc-Antoine Schiery is a sociologist and independent researcher based in France. He holds a Master’s degree in Sociology from the University of Lorraine, where his thesis examined social representations, anomie, and community dynamics among players of massively multiplayer online games. He is the founder of Schiery Conseil, a sociological consulting practice specializing in digital practices, rural territories, and transformations of work. Through this structure, he conducts quantitative and qualitative studies for local governments and associations, focusing on social cohesion, participation, and the impacts of digitalization on everyday life. Marc-Antoine has contributed to several research projects, including a CNRS-affiliated visual anthropology project on families of transgender youth, and survey-based studies on anomie, religion, video games, and work. His current work explores how online games and digital environments act as new spaces of socialization, regulation, and identity construction, particularly for young adults in precarious or changing social contexts. Alongside his consulting and research activities, he is pursuing further training in business and management to strengthen the bridge between sociological knowledge and practical interventions in organizations and communities.

Title: Contemporary Recompositions of Social Bonds: Religion, Video Games, and Work in the Face of Anomie

Summary: This article explores contemporary mechanisms of social regulation in the face of anomie, based on a quantitative survey of 653 individuals. By cross-referencing religious practices, involvement in video games, and the quality of relationships at work, three areas are analyzed in relation to the relational, political, and subjective forms of anomie. The theoretical dimension draws on the classic contributions of Durkheim and Merton, as well as contemporary developments around vulnerability and disaffiliation. The results show a weakening of the regulatory role of religion, while video games appear to be a factor correlated with less political anomie, and work appears to be a powerful stabilizer of relationships and identity. The study highlights a shift in social regulation towards cultural and professional practices, calling for a renewal of the sociological frameworks for analyzing social bonds.