Media Research Media Research in Applied Anthropologyin Applied Anthropology

Society for

Applied AnthropologyWednesday, March 28, 2007

Session FormatSession Format• Introduction to session: Media

Research in Applied Anthropology• Presentations:

– Amy Goldmacher, Wayne State– Diane Pawlowski, Wayne State

• Themes:– Methods to consider and use from

Anthropology– Methods to consider and use from

other disciplines• Roundtable discussion

Virtually an Anthropologist: Virtually an Anthropologist: Negotiating Distributed WorkNegotiating Distributed Work

by

Amy Goldmacher, PhD Candidate

Wayne State UniversityDepartment of Anthropology

Virtually An AnthropologistVirtually An Anthropologist

• How to conduct research project on distributed work?

• How to conduct a remote project remotely?

• How to research technology use in remote settings?

• What other methods should be considered?

The Role of Culture in Managing The Role of Culture in Managing Change in a Global Auto. Co.Change in a Global Auto. Co.

• Design a project using anthropological theory and methods

• Cultural ecology (Steward 1955): differences in work groups created and maintained by complex relationships among diverse populations (Baba 1995)

• Change directed from the top down assumes organizational similarity

Design and MethodsDesign and Methods• Global Automotive (GA) undergoing

several concurrent significant changes – Regional reorganization– Info. Tech. Svcs. (ITS) separation

• Change Management (CM) team (part of ITS)– 8 members

• Participant observation (n=7) and informal interviews (n=3)– Work group interdependencies– Organizational cultural beliefs or values– How culture enables or inhibits change

FindingsFindings• Interdependence of individuals, work

groups, and work processes:– Coordination is important for connecting

parts of org. system – One part of system cannot be changed

without affecting rest of the system• Cultural beliefs and values:

– Conflicting models mean no shared understanding about org. values across groups

– Differences in beliefs constrain implementation of change

– Supporting implementation of change will be unique to discrete groups because each work group and local work context is different

Levels of CultureLevels of Culture

Occupational

Organizational

National

Limitations of the StudyLimitations of the Study• Not embedded in research context• Project constrained by pace and

content of academic course• Conflicting demands of CM team’s

goals, methods, time, and budget• Small sample size of study

population• Additional methods and analytical

techniques would complement anthropological approach (and be more obvious to client)

Virtually an AnthropologistVirtually an Anthropologist

• Listserv: Anthrodesign• “Members share common

interest of applying ethnographic techniques and social sciences theory to industrial, software, and other types of product design”

• Discussion on “remote methods”

““Remote” MethodsRemote” Methods• Digital photos• Remote screen sharing • Online usage diaries• “Casting participants as storytellers of their

own narrative” - e.g., the $17 haircut• “in the process of moving from a work

around to a distinct research medium with its own conventions, strengths, weaknesses, and methods”

• How you do it (method) vs. when and why you do it (theory)

• “the more technological fields (HCI, product design) seem to be exploring remote or technologically-mediated methods”

““The Virtual Ethnographer”The Virtual Ethnographer”• Ruhleder (2000)’s description of two

studies of technology-mediated work:1. New work practices around shared online

databases and video teleconferencing• Ethnographers needed to develop

technical competence in database • Videotaping of videoconferences at

multiple sites to capture multi-sited event

2. Virtual classroom• Participating in virtual forums• Analyzing text archives• “Dull” videos, but useful when participants

“think aloud”

• Call for “strong practice around virtual ethnography”

Ethnographers on the Run: Ethnographers on the Run: WorkingWorking with the with the

Working Press?Working Press?

by

Diane R. Pawlowski, PhDWayne State University

Department of Anthropology

Why don’t reporters quote more anthropologists?

Why don’t they see anthropologists as “experts”?

Why aren’t anthropologists recognized for our important research and knowledge?

Why the interdisciplinary ill-will?Why the interdisciplinary ill-will?

What can we teach, learn from each What can we teach, learn from each other?other?

Need to finally recognize similar methods

Both try giving voice to the voiceless

When Anthropology fails to communicate…• Anthropology’s voice: muffled ?

• Informants’ voices: stilled & lost

Provocative Anthropology-Journalism Provocative Anthropology-Journalism ParallelsParallels

• Both writing disciplines

• Journalists write to pay the rent

• Anthropologists write to pay academic dues

• Is this difference why we cloak our findings, almost hiding them from the general public?

• Do we fear only unlucky students, reviewers and editors ever read what we write?

Anthropology’s hidden role teaching Anthropology’s hidden role teaching journalists journalists

After Introductory, Cultural Anthropology courses:

• Reporters: cultural trend spotters

• Feature writers: find, test, document new words

• Once written, new language enters the lexicon

• Their villages: our cities, businesses, etc

• Reporters: ethnographers on the run

Finding new keys to open anthropological Finding new keys to open anthropological writingwriting

• Nurture relationships with journalists

• Initiate joint collaborative projects

• Reporting: “history on the run”? No way!…it’s ethnography on the

run

A brief self-examination of anthropological A brief self-examination of anthropological conscienceconscience

• Interviewing make interviewers uncomfortable

• No, they’re not doing it our way…but could we learn to be better ethnographers from reporters?

• Working press & Working anthropologists share worlds of editors, deadlines

• No, we are not “consummate experts!” Anthropology does NOT have all the answers, but

we can help reporters find good solutions

Lessons anthropologists need to learnLessons anthropologists need to learn

• Reporters work on deadline: they love scientists who will help them

• Anthropologists refusing access cause harmto cities, to individuals, to our discipline

• Collaboration and trusting relationships helpboth disciplines build a better world

Open DiscussionOpen Discussion

• Questions?• Methods of data collection and

analysis to consider and use– “experimental” or “remote”

methods?– when and why?

• Other disciplines’ methods?• “Global insecurities, global solutions,

and applied anthropology in the 21st century”?