Adam Sargent

Dr. Adam Sargent is an Adjunct Professor in the Institute for Culture and Society at Western Sydney University. His research focuses on capitalist development, labor dynamics, infrastructure, social inequality, and algorithmic systems in India. He holds a PhD in Sociocultural Anthropology from the University of Chicago (2018), following a BA from Reed College (2000) and an MA from the University of Chicago (2009).

His current work examines algorithmic credit-scoring systems in India, exploring how these technologies reshape credit access and livelihoods. He also investigates labor practices in construction and engineering sectors, emphasizing precarity, moral economies, and embodied work experiences. His research contributes to the ARC Centre of Excellence in Automated Decision-Making and Society (ADM+S).

Prior studies include analyses of U.S. engineering work’s sensory transformations and Indian construction site hierarchies. Key publications address worker identities, wage systems, and urban development in South Asia. His interdisciplinary approach bridges anthropology, sociology, and science studies to address global socio-technical challenges.