Sean Taylor

PhD Candidate in Anthropology | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Anthropologist of Labor, Maritime Heritage, and Food Systems

Education

  • Ph.D. in Sociocultural Anthropology (In Progress, Expected 2027) University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

    • Research Focus: From Slim Jims to Amazon Packages: Labor transition and Unionization in the American South

    M.A. in Anthropology of Food (2022) SOAS University of London

    • Thesis: “Amazon builds a factory in a California Farmworker Community: Indigeneity, Resistance, and Agrarian Transition in Coastal California.”

    B.S. in Wine and Viticulture (2018)

    • California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

Professional & Industrial Experience

Amazon Warehouse Associate (Durham, NC): Currently conducting long-term, engaged workplace ethnography. This role involves firsthand research into the "corporeal toll" and labor dynamics within high-tech logistics environments.

  • Owner & Founder, Labor and Power(San Francisco Bay Area): (2018–Present)

    • Workshop Leadership: Operated over 350 workshops for major organizations, including Google, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, the Oakland Raiders (NFL), and the American Cancer Society.

      Subject Expertise: Led extensive sessions in Bean-to-Bar Chocolate Making, Fermentation, Food Transparency, and Agricultural Education.

      Social Impact: Raised over $100,000 for mutual aid and wage replacement for farmworkers during the COVID-19 pandemic and California forest fires.

    Global Winemaking & Cellar Management: (2014–2020)

    • Managed industrial production and labor crews of 15–30 workers across international and domestic wineries.

      Wineries: Domaine de Boissan (France), Jordan Wine Estate (South Africa), Chateau Hana (Argentina), and various California labels including Jeff Cohn Cellars and A.P. Vin.

Academic & Research Experience

  • Research Assistant (Duke University): Working with Professor Orin Starn on unionization efforts and the impact of Amazon fulfillment centers on local communities in the Triangle area.

  • Teaching Assistant Assignments:

    • Local Cultures, Global Forces (UNC Chapel Hill)

      Introduction to Cultural Anthropology (Duke University)

      Comparative Healing Systems (UNC Chapel Hill)

    Grants, Fellowships & Awards

    • National Science Foundation (NSF) Senior Research Award (23-581) | 2024

      • Project: “Unionizing at Amazon: Barriers to Labor Organizing in the 21st Century” * Institute for the Study of the Americas (ISA) Research Award | 2024

      • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill * Harriet J. Kupferer Graduate Exploratory Summer Research Award | 2022

      • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill * UNC Department of Anthropology Summer Research Fellowship | 2022

  • Digital Strategy & Social Media Experience

    • Media Strategy Lead | Carolina Amazonians United for Solidarity and Empowerment (C.A.U.S.E.) (2023–Present)

      • Directing digital outreach and narrative strategy for the unionization effort at the RDU1 Amazon fulfillment center in Garner, NC.

      • Managing multi-platform content creation to document workplace conditions and build worker solidarity through visual storytelling.

    • Co-Founder & Digital Director | Labor and Power (2020–2022)

      • Reach & Virality: Scaled the organization’s Instagram presence to over 50 million total views, leveraging high-impact short-form video and ethnographic photography.

      • Conversion & Impact: Utilized social media storytelling to drive a mutual aid campaign that raised $100,000 for farmworker relief during the COVID-19 pandemic and California wildfire seasons.

        This section is crucial for your application because it transforms you from a "student with a camera" into a Professional Documentarian. The Heritage Council of Ireland values "Oral History" and "Visual Archives," so proving you can produce broadcast-quality records of fishing stories is high-level "proof."

        Here is the Technical Production section for your CV/Website:

        Technical Media & Post-Production

        Cinematography & Field Capture

        • Camera Systems: Professional operator of the Panasonic Lumix GH5/GH6 ecosystem, specializing in high-bitrate 4K ethnographic filmmaking and low-light industrial environments.

        • Optics: Proficient in manual cinema glass and stabilizing systems for "run-and-gun" field research in maritime and warehouse settings.

        • Field Recording: Expert in multi-channel location sound; utilizing XLR-interfaced pre-amps, shotgun microphones (Sennheiser/Rode), and lavalier systems to capture high-fidelity oral histories in high-noise environments (docks, factories, and vessels).

        Post-Production & Narrative Design

        • Advanced proficiency in Adobe Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve, including color grading (LOG workflow) for documentary aesthetics.

        • Sound Design: Experience in surgical audio cleaning and restoration for field interviews, ensuring archival-quality clarity for oral history projects.

        • Digital Asset Management: Managing complex metadata for long-term ethnographic archives, ensuring research data is both secure and accessible for public heritage exhibits.