Dr. Martha Lampland

Biography

Martha Lampland is a Professor in the Department of Sociology and a core member of the Science Studies Program at the University of California, San Diego. She received her Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Chicago in 1987. Her research primarily focuses on political economy, social history, and feminist science studies, with a particular interest in Hungary and Central Europe. She explores the commodification of labor and the processes of rationalization, standardization, quantification, and commensuration in social contexts. Lampland has conducted extensive archival research spanning the 19th and 20th centuries and emphasizes the impact of socialist policies on agriculture. Her publications include two books on labor commodification and co-edited volumes addressing transitions in Eastern Europe. Recently, she has also studied the intersection of humor and politics. Lampland’s impressive oeuvre contributes to the understanding of the relationship between social theory and historical practices, especially in the context of post-socialist transformation.

Research Interests

Experience