Business Anthropology

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1. As discussed in the article, companies around the world hire anthropologists to study consumers and markets. In your own words, explain why anthropologists are particularly well suited to doing this type of research, and what particular insights an anthropological perspective can make in the business world.

Anthropologists are very well suited to study consumer and market research for businesses. This is due to the fact that they are able to provide inside knowledge of consumers that businesses are looking to target. They provide a perspective on people that companies aren’t able to see and know the ways specific cultures think, feel and behave. Unlike other fields such as sociology which looks at groups of people or psychology which looks at the behaviour of the mind anthropology explains individual behaviour on a macro level. This in turn can help companies make better decisions and be able to relate and address their customers needs.

2. He Xu tells us that her decision to work for a business rather than in academia was met by skepticism by her friends. Why might …show more content…

First off the primary objective of the research is different which effects the relationship. In business anthropology your primary objective is to help solve a business problem while in academia you are looking to test hypothesis and describe ethnographic reality. Secondly in business anthropology the research methods differ in that you use participant observation and interviewing rapid ethnographic assessment. In academics you would use particant observation and interviewing. Lastly while working for a business you usually work as part of a team while in academia you usually work by yourself. In conclusion, doing academic anthropology you will have a more personal and intimate relationship with your participants then you will in business

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