Joseph Klett

Joseph Klett is a Lecturer in Sociology at the University of California, Berkeley and the University of California, Santa Cruz. He holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from Yale University (2015), an M.A. from Yale (2008), and a B.A. in Sociology with a Music minor from the University of California, San Diego (2006). His research focuses on the intersections of culture, technology, and social practices, with a particular emphasis on sound studies, audio engineering, and music education. Klett explores how knowledge is produced through collaborative work and how aesthetic preferences are embedded in technological tools.

He has held fellowships at the Center for Cultural Sociology at Yale University and the Science History Institute. His work has been recognized with a SAGE Prize nomination (2015) and grants from the National Science Foundation. Klett teaches courses on technology and society, sound studies, and cultural sociology. His research spans topics including the sociology of education, algorithmic cultures, and the materiality of sound.

• Education: Ph.D. Sociology (Yale University, 2015), M.A. Sociology (Yale, 2008), B.A. Sociology & Music (UC San Diego, 2006).
• Research Interests: Sonic culture, technology, organizations, cultural sociology, music education, and the sociology of expertise.
• Recent Grants: NSF Dissertation Improvement Grant ($8,500), Yale University Dissertation Fellowship.

Klett’s publications include peer-reviewed articles in Sociological Theory, Cultural Sociology, and Theory & Society, as well as chapters in edited volumes such as Algorithmic Cultures. He has also contributed to public scholarship through articles in Distillations and podcast episodes.