Ryan P
- Research Program Mentor
PhD candidate at Stanford University
Expertise
Science Technology and Society (STS) studies , China-US socio-economic relations, Anthropology of capitalism, Ocean-based development
Bio
Originally from the the UK, I did my BSc in Marine Biology before moving to the social sciences to do my MSc in Anthropology and Development Studies at the London School of Economics. My current interests include the innovation and development of ocean technologies in Silicon Valley and China, transnational capitalist relations (specifically between China-US) and ocean-related conservation and development. I also have industry experience working in policy analysis that focussed on Chinese maritime industries.Project ideas
Project 1
One set of my interests relate to the role of technologies and science in society, and I am therefore able to engage in projects that explore the social and political construction of technologies (e.g. the way technologies, like AI and machine learning algorithms, sometimes discriminate against specific types and groups of people). I have worked and mentored students on a range of projects, from ones focusing on the discriminatory practices of social media to ones focusing on the biases of architectural design.
Project 2
Another set of interests relate to the role of capitalist relations in society, and how these relations are often more complicated than the traditional view of producers and consumers as being rationally driven and maximizing profit (homo economicus). Projects looking to explore the variety of motives and reasons behind economic activities may be of interest (e.g. why people work in specific places and settings, why people purchase certain things over others or why companies invest in particular areas and industries and not in others)
Project 3
I also work on overseas Chinese populations in Africa and the US. In the past I have mentored students working on overseas Chinese companies in Ghana. Other potential projects related to this theme might include those looking to understand overseas Chinese migration, overseas Chinese capital investment as well as Chinese transnational political and economic cooperation and conflict.
Project 4
Finally, I also have interests in ocean-related development and conservation. On this theme I have worked with students on projects ranging from starfish conservation in Madagascar to the rehabilitation of seagrass beds in the UK. Related projects here might look focus on specific marine conservation practices or marine development activities.