Publications & Articles
These articles explore ways to study culture and find new forms of value:
What is the role of professional anthropologists as curators of value? And how can cultural insights help shape categories of design experience?: “Media, Mediation and the Curatorial Value of Professional Anthropologists.”
How can socio-cultural behaviors lead to experience design innovation in retail? A couple of articles for design firm Shook Kelley’s website: “The Shape of Things” and “Fighting For Attention.”
I contributed to UX expert Steve Portigal’s collection of “war stories” from the field from UX and design researchers: “The Glass Is More Than Half Full.”
Why don’t Latino voters in Texas vote more? This collaborative ethnographic research work on Latino voters in Texas is publicly available. The analysis was co-authored with Cecilia Ballí, Ph.D., and Betsabeth Monica Lugo, Ph.D. “Real Talk: Understanding Texas Latino Voters Through Meaningful Conversation.”
I have worked extensively on food, food retail and food justice projects. These writings explore the intersection of research, design, experience, and food culture.
How has the supermarket’s center store aisles evolved over time? And how have shoppers responded or resisted these aisles? “All Lost In The Supermarket.”
How are retail brands different than other types of brands? I co-authored a peer-reviewed article on a “corner store conversion” project with Hanna Garth, PhD (now Professor of Anthropology, Princeton University). “Rebranding a South Los Angeles Corner Store: The Unique Logic of Retail Brands.”
What are some ways that professional ethnographers can offer unique insights for non-profit projects, including in food justice? “The Para-Ethnographic Trajectories Of Professional Ethnography.”
How does a mobile food retailer get started in Houston? Eggs get broken and research has to find new forms. “Insight or Noise? Ethnography In & Of A Startup.”
Prior to consulting, I worked on projects in the anthropology of public policy, with an emphasis on government transparency and secrecy:
This essay explores the curious culture of secrecy, and how people “read” redacted government documents: “Blacked Out: Our Cultural Romance With Redacted Documents.” The Believer.
This article for the Huffington Post offered critical insights on current approaches to the culture of secrecy inside the government: “Shadow Elite: WikiLeaks, FOIA and the Cultural Life of Government Secrecy.” Huffington Post.
