Anthropology in Unusual Places

What Can You DO With Anthropology? American Anthropological Association (AAA) recognizes two dimensions Academic anthropology includes cultural, archaeological, biological, and linguistic anthropology Applied anthropology application of anthropological data, perspectives, theory, and techniques to identify, assess, and solve contemporary social problems 50% of anthropologists with a Ph.D. have careers outside of academia Anthropology of Education Help facilitate the accommodation of cultural differences in classroom settings. Examine the ways classroom practices actually work through ethnographic studies Urban Anthropology As human populations become increasingly urban, anthropology offers cross-cultural and ethnographic approaches to helping people adapt to life in the cities. Anthropology in the Military WWII Vietnam Afghanistan Propaganda Policy Led Troops Espionage Human Terrain Teams ETHICS 1. Do nothing that would harm consultants 2. Scientific Truth 3. Openness 4. Teaching and Mentoring Anthropology in Business How does the anthropologist ensure information she supplies is not used for violence? Anthropology can often provide unique perspectives on organizational conditions and problems within businesses. Anthropologists may be able to act as “cultural brokers” in translating managers’ goals or workers’ concerns to the other group. For business, key features of anthropology include: ethnography, cross-cultural expertise, focus on cultural diversity holistic perspective. Technology Development Market Research Consumer Goods Media Focus groups misled General Mills into believing that whole-grain breakfasts were a top priority for parents to serve their kids. When anthropologists actually observed family breakfast practices they found that snacks on the run and “multicolored cereal” were preferred in reality. The result? Disney hired a team of anthropologists to help it rejuvenate its appeal to a stagnating audience: 6-14 year old boys. Boys tend to be less open than girls in regular surveys, making ethnographic methods better for understanding their interests. The result? Disney created a new television channel, Disney XD, tailored toward the interests of boys. Disney has also seen a 10% increase in male viewership. Social Entrepreneurship Marketing research is often proprietary Market Research Apparently, quite a lot.