My research examines contemporary social processes such as the expansion of market logics into new areas of life, the commodification and assetization of emerging products, and the labor that sustains these shifts. I study how these processes unfold through the development and use of networked and computational technologies, drawing on and contributing to theories in economic sociology, cultural sociology, and science and technology studies.
As a qualitative researcher, I focus on the beliefs and practices that shape and are shaped by socio-technical economic innovations. My work considers both the designers and implementers of new commercial technologies and the people who use and participate in them. I have extensive experience in interview, ethnographic, and survey methods, but I have also published quantitative work.
I have published research in the British Journal of Sociology and Socius.
My research projects evince my interests and commitments. I have collected and analyzed data to understand:
- How sports betting stakeholders and users in the US conceive of the role of emotion in online betting and how the role of emotions both legitimizes and threatens the emergent practice.
- How individuals adapt new forms of valuation and pricing as the secondhand clothing industry moves from brick-and-mortar physical stores to for-profit online marketplaces.
- How family structure and gender ideology affect how US school teachers decide to translate free (non-work) time into more formal work time.
- How smartphones work to reform the experience of queuing in large urban centers.
I grew up in Kansas, just outside of Kansas City. I received a BA in economics and sociology from Williams College. Outside of research, I enjoy brewing kombucha and mead, practicing muay thai, and biking.
Ryan Fajardo 