Thursday 21 March at 9am  Keynes Lecture Theatre 5 (KLT5)

All students are invited to join us for an open ‘Anthropology of Business’ session, with former alumnus and guest speaker Christian Hurley (BA Social Anthropology, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent 2012)

For the past six years, Christian has worked in the world of research, brand consultancy and strategic planning. Whether it’s the future of pet ownership, exploring the hidden motivations of online betting behaviour, or advising Nestlé on their vision for Corporate Social Responsibility, Anthropology has been an ongoing influence. The agencies he has worked for have all claimed to use ‘Ethnography’ or ‘Anthropology’ in their approach.

The extent to which this has deviated from its academic origins has varied a great deal. Christian will speak about how Anthropology is used in a world where the word ‘person’ is substituted for ‘consumer’.

The session will yield insight into what it is like for a social anthropology to work with a business. Students are encouraged to ask questions and participate in discussions about how Anthropology can be useful for business. This can include project design, participant observation, fieldwork skills and techniques, and the many challenges such work entails. Students’ participation is expected!