Contact Information
Lincoln Hall 3120
Urbana, Illinois 61801
Biography
Isak Ladegaard is an Assistant Professor of sociology.
He is interested in economic sociology, technology, and crime and deviance.
In most of his work, he uses a mixture of computational and qualitative research methods.
Ladegaard’s research has appeared in Social Forces, British Journal of Criminology, Socio-Economic Review, Sociological Review, and other peer-reviewed journals.
He has also been interviewed by multiple media outlets, including Wired Magazine, Newsweek, Le Monde, and New York Times.
His current research project on digital drug trade is funded by the National Science Foundation.
Ladegaard obtained his PhD and MA in Sociology at Boston College, and a BA in Journalism at the University of Hong Kong. He was born in Oslo.
Research Interests
Economic Sociology
Technology
Crime and Deviance
Computational Sociology
Globalization
Research Description
Ladegaard writes about how software innovations enable new organizational forms which challenge social control. What he calls open secrecy captures the combination of mass communication tools and cryptography, with which people can organize and operate in public, but also remain off the radar. This blend gives connected, motivated groups the capacity to cooperate, even though they have law enforcement and autocratic states on their tails. Ladegaard studies the mechanisms of such groups, and the consequences of their empowerment.
Education
Ph.D., Sociology, Boston College. 2019.
Courses Taught
Economic Sociology
Criminology
Technology and Society
External Links
Recent Publications
See Google Scholar.