Katharine Legun
Papers
2
Total Citations
106
H-Index
2
About
Katharine Legun is a leading sociologist whose research sits at the critical intersection of agri-food systems, technology, and labor. Her work explores how emerging technologies—particularly artificial intelligence and robotics—are reshaping agricultural production, skill, and human expertise. Legun’s major contributions include theorizing how food producers anticipate and prepare for automation, a concept she terms “robot-ready” in her highly cited 2021 paper (76 citations) examining how apple growers are assembling in response to impending AI robotics. In her 2022 work (30 citations), she provocatively asks whether a robot can be an expert, analyzing the social meaning of skill in the context of autonomous AgTech. Her research reveals that technological change is not simply imposed on farmers but is actively co-constructed through anticipation, design, and social negotiation. Legun’s work has been instrumental in showing that the future of farming is not just a technical question but a deeply social one, making her a vital voice in debates about automation, labor, and sustainability. Her scholarship is essential reading for anyone interested in how technology transforms the lived experience of food production.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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