{"id":3456,"date":"2018-01-12T15:57:57","date_gmt":"2018-01-12T15:57:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/antropologia2-0.com\/?p=3456"},"modified":"2019-09-20T12:23:44","modified_gmt":"2019-09-20T12:23:44","slug":"ethnographic-thinking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.antropologia2-0.com\/en\/ethnographic-thinking\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Ethnographic Thinking? Interview with Jay Hasbrouck"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Jay<\/a><\/p>\n

The book “Ethnographic Thinking” arrives as a required reading in 2018 for all those interested in learning about how ethnographic thinking<\/em> can help develop culturally informed strategies in organizations, companies and innovation projects around the world. The book is divided into three parts. The first part details some of the core qualities of ethnographic thinking. The second part addresses the praxis of ethnographic thinking through some real case studies. And the last part, entitled “Analysis, strategy, and influence” delves deeper into issues such as the value of certain anthropological tools such as holistic thinking, empathy or Storytelling in strategic innovation processes.<\/p>\n

We have spoken to Jay Hasbrouck, anthropologist and author of the book, with a long history working in research and innovation industries such as IDEO or Intel. In his time there he has been involved in research design, innovation management, design management and evaluation or usability research among others.<\/p>\n

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Hi Jay! Tell us, why do you think it is beneficial to business to incorporate anthropologists into their teams?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Your question reminds me of a story about how a friend once described what we do. I was conducting fieldwork in Los Angeles with a team of two other anthropologists, and we were on a break between field visits. We decided to have lunch with this friend who we met at a local restaurant. As we settled in with our drinks, the waiter came back to socialize before taking our order and asked us how our day was going. One of our team members mentioned \u201cfieldwork\u201d in the course of conversation to which the waiter responded, \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d My colleague added, \u201cWe\u2019re anthropologists.\u201d The waiter, confused, said, \u201cLike digging up bones?\u201d To which our friend responded, \u201cNo, not that kind of anthropologists. They\u2019re cultural anthropologists. These people ask questions for a living.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Years later, the way our friend described what we do continues to resonate with me. Much of the value we offer as anthropologists boils down to asking skillfully crafted questions in one form or another. Of course, the aim and purpose of our inquiries can vary widely, but we are essentially professional inquisitors<\/strong> (in the most positive sense of the word, I think). <\/span><\/p>\n

With regard to businesses, our questions help bring the voice of the customer to a company, contextualize the company\u2019s challenges, offer alternative lenses, and cross-pollinate perspectives between differing views<\/strong>. Much of this value is rooted in the ways anthropologists continually strike a balance between insider and outsider status. Our immersive participation allows us to empathize, while our analytical detachment provides perspective. And, because we are continually focused on context and deep understanding, we are able to identify and describe the influence that interconnected relationships embedded within social systems have on our lives. This means that we can help businesses understand how the flows between different cultures (including customer cultures, company cultures, cultures of practice, and others) impact both their operations and how their offerings are perceived \u2014 to see their businesses in cultural contexts. <\/span><\/p>\n

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\"ethnographic<\/p>\n

Your book \u201cEthnographic Thinking: From Method to Mindset\u201d was recently launched. <\/strong>What target audience did you <\/strong>have <\/strong>in mind when you were writing it?<\/strong><\/p>\n

While I think that people interested in practicing ethnography in applied settings will find the book <\/span>particularly useful, my intention is that it\u2019s just as accessible and valuable for innovation groups, managers, executives, board members, designers, strategists, marketers, and others. <\/span><\/p>\n

I really wanted to ensure that I demonstrated how practicing ethnography can shape a certain mindset that has value far beyond simply identifying consumer needs for a design process<\/strong> or marketing program. I want people to see that ethnographic thinking is much more far-reaching and powerful\u2014that it is critical for framing business questions and shaping organizational strategies.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Can you give us a short definition of what you consider ethnographic thinking?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I define ethnographic thinking as the thought processes and patterns ethnographers develop through their practice. In the book, I identify three sets of qualities that make up the primary components of ethnographic thinking. <\/span><\/p>\n