You are currently browsing TheAnthroGeek’s articles.
TheAnthroGuys are giving a presentation about our core competency: Analytic Induction. Our objective is to introduce entrepreneurship students to Analytic Induction in search of opportunities to “add value“.
We will be in a lecture hall of entrepreneurship students at Fresno State. Incidentally, the name of the lecture hall is, “Pete P Peters”. As I often tell students of ethnography, reality is usually far more interesting than fiction once you start actually noticing it.
Elsewhere, we have observed that our world is utterly overshadowed by ignorance, yet few people notice this. Ethnographers and entrepreneurs share a reliance on inductive skills to accomplish their goals. Once this is understood, we can learn a great deal from each other.
Here is our Presentation Slides
It is important to note that the similarities between anthropologists and entrepreneurs are numerous. The table below illustrates this point:
| Anthropologists | Entrepreneurs | Application |
| Trained to think holistically | Intuitively holistic | visionary, iconoclastic |
| Take an evolutionary approach | Forward-looking | know future demands |
| Seek the insider perspective | Intuitively know consumers wants | know when something will have value to others |
| Trained to be inductive | Intuitively inductive | keen observers, see openings |
Other helpful guides include:
Read this article http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/03/anthropology-inc/309218/?single_page=true from The Atlantic entitle, “Anthropology Inc.”.
Or, Watch the clip that was attached to the above article http://bcove.me/k6szvgkh from The Atlantic.
-Check out: “A Crash Course on Creativity” (Tina Seelig, Executive Director, Stanford Technology Ventures Program)
-View the following 3 min video entitled: Field Observation with Fresh Eyes by Tom Kelley | IDEO
-View the following 4 min video entitled: Thinking Like a Traveler by Tom Kelley | IDEO
-Read: “Can’t You Just Ask People?” (Delcore)
-Watch: Parc’s use of these techniques.
-Define: The notion of “workarounds”
-Define: Ethnography
Observation Assignment:
1) Conduct some sort of “inductive observation”,
2) analyze your notes, then
3) expand those notes into a brief report about what you found. DESCRIPTION
–Rather than looking into a completely innovative idea (service or product), the goal is to 1) observe something that already works; 2) observe it in great detail; then 3) begin to understand it in such detail that you can 4) make concrete suggestions about improving it.
Steps
–1. Find a routine, taken-for-granted task/service/product,
–2. “Hang out” and “thickly describe” it in a notebook,
–3. In a one page pitch, suggest some sort of innovation that will add value. DUE: 10/21/15 in class.
–The best observations will be published on our blog and presented in class on 10/28/15.
We will return to their class to continue this discussion. Our hope is that some – if not all – of these students will see the value of this skill set and in so doing, realize that “thinking out of the box” can be learned.
Assessment
We have included how the assignments are evaluated but the the main point is that this is NOT rocket science. Rather , it’s social science! Applied systematically, humans’ natural observational skills can notice things that are typically ignored. With some analysis, suggestions can be made to improve lives, products, profit margins, whatever.
If you have further questions about the assignment or the course, feel free to contact us at: jmullooly@csufrenso.edu
Note, the following table is used to evaluate these assignments.
LINK TO Ethnographic Opportunity Analysis Assignment Rubric (Mullooly & Delcore)
Send questions to: Jmullooly@csufresno.edu
TIMELINE:
In a one to two page pitch, suggest some sort of innovation that will add value.
DUE: 10/21/15 in class.
The best observations will be published on our blog and presented in class on 10/28/15.
Advertisements
Tomorrow, TheAnthroGuys are giving a presentation about our core competency: Analytic Induction. Our objective is to introduce entrepreneurship students to Analytic Induction in search of opportunities to “add value“.
We will be in a lecture hall of entrepreneurship students at Fresno State. Incidentally, the name of the lecture hall is, “Pete P Peters”. As I often tell students of ethnography, reality is usually far more interesting than fiction once you start actually noticing it.
Elsewhere, we have observed that our world is utterly overshadowed by ignorance, yet few people notice this. Ethnographers and entrepreneurs share a reliance on inductive skills to accomplish their goals. Once this is understood, we can learn a great deal from each other.
Here is our Presentation Slides
It is important to note that the similarities between anthropologists and entrepreneurs are numerous. The table below illustrates this point:
| Anthropologists | Entrepreneurs | Application |
| Trained to think holistically | Intuitively holistic | visionary, iconoclastic |
| Take an evolutionary approach | Forward-looking | know future demands |
| Seek the insider perspective | Intuitively know consumers wants | know when something will have value to others |
| Trained to be inductive | Intuitively inductive | keen observers, see openings |
Other helpful guides include:
Read this article http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/03/anthropology-inc/309218/?single_page=true from The Atlantic entitle, “Anthropology Inc.”.
Or, Watch the clip that was attached to the above article http://bcove.me/k6szvgkh from The Atlantic.
-Check out: “A Crash Course on Creativity” (Tina Seelig, Executive Director, Stanford Technology Ventures Program)
-View the following 3 min video entitled: Field Observation with Fresh Eyes by Tom Kelley | IDEO
-View the following 4 min video entitled: Thinking Like a Traveler by Tom Kelley | IDEO
-Read: “Can’t You Just Ask People?” (Delcore)
-Watch: Parc’s use of these techniques.
-Define: The notion of “workarounds”
-Define: Ethnography
Observation Assignment:
1) Conduct some sort of “inductive observation”,
2) analyze your notes, then
3) expand those notes into a brief report about what you found. DESCRIPTION
–Rather than looking into a completely innovative idea (service or product), the goal is to 1) observe something that already works; 2) observe it in great detail; then 3) begin to understand it in such detail that you can 4) make concrete suggestions about improving it.
Steps
–1. Find a routine, taken-for-granted task/service/product,
–2. “Hang out” and “thickly describe” it in a notebook,
–3. In a one page pitch, suggest some sort of innovation that will add value. DUE: next Wednesday March 18th in class.
–The best observations will be published on our blog and presented in class on March 25th.
We will return to their class to continue this discussion. Our hope is that some – if not all – of these students will see the value of this skill set and in so doing, realize that “thinking out of the box” can be learned.
Assessment
We have included how the assignments are evaluated but the the main point is that this is NOT rocket science. Rather , it’s social science! Applied systematically, humans’ natural observational skills can notice things that are typically ignored. With some analysis, suggestions can be made to improve lives, products, profit margins, whatever.
If you have further questions about the assignment or the course, feel free to contact us at: jmullooly@csufrenso.edu
Note, the following table is used to evaluate these assignments.
LINK TO Ethnographic Opportunity Analysis Assignment Rubric (Mullooly & Delcore)
Send questions to: Jmullooly@csufresno.edu
TIMELINE:
In a one to two page pitch, suggest some sort of innovation that will add value.
DUE: next Wednesday March 18 2015 in class.
The best observations will be published on our blog and presented in class on March 25th.
This afternoon TheAnthroGuys are giving a presentation about our core competency: Analytic Induction. Our objective is to introduce entrepreneurship students to Analytic Induction in search of opportunities to “add value“.
We will be in a lecture hall of entrepreneurship students at Fresno State. Incidentally, the name of the lecture hall is, “Pete P Peters”. As I often tell students of ethnography, reality is usually far more interesting than fiction once you start actually noticing it.
Elsewhere, we have observed that our world is utterly overshadowed by ignorance, yet few people notice this. Ethnographers and entrepreneurs share a reliance on inductive skills to accomplish their goals. Once this is understood, we can learn a great deal from each other.
Here is our Presentation Slides
It is importnat to note that the similarities between anthropologists and entrepreneurs are numerous. The table below illustrates this point:
| Anthropologists | Entrepreneurs | Application |
| Trained to think holistically | Intuitively holistic | visionary, iconoclastic |
| Take an evolutionary approach | Forward-looking | know future demands |
| Seek the insider perspective | Intuitively know consumers wants | know when something will have value to others |
| Trained to be inductive | Intuitively inductive | keen observers, see openings |
Other helpful guides include:
Read this article http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/03/anthropology-inc/309218/?single_page=true from The Atlantic entitle, “Anthropology Inc.”.
Or, Watch the clip that was attached to the above article http://bcove.me/k6szvgkh from The Atlantic.
-Check out: “A Crash Course on Creativity” (Tina Seelig, Executive Director, Stanford Technology Ventures Program)
-View the following 3 min video entitled: Field Observation with Fresh Eyes by Tom Kelley | IDEO
-View the following 4 min video entitled: Thinking Like a Traveler by Tom Kelley | IDEO
-Read: “Can’t You Just Ask People?” (Delcore)
-Watch: Parc’s use of these techniques.
-Define: The notion of “workarounds”
-Define: Ethnography
Observation Assignment:
1) Conduct some sort of “inductive observation”,
2) analyze your notes, then
3) expand those notes into a brief report about what you found. DESCRIPTION
–Rather than looking into a completely innovative idea (service or product), the goal is to 1) observe something that already works; 2) observe it in great detail; then 3) begin to understand it in such detail that you can 4) make concrete suggestions about improving it.
Steps
–1. Find a routine, taken-for-granted task/service/product,
–2. “Hang out” and “thickly describe” it in a notebook,
–3. In a one page pitch, suggest some sort of innovation that will add value. DUE: next Wednesday March 19th by 3:00pm in class.
–The best observations will be published on our blog and presented in class on March 26th.
We will return to their class to continue this discussion. Our hope is that some – if not all – of these students will see the value of this skill set and in so doing, realize that “thinking out of the box” can be learned.
Assessment
We have included how the assignments are evaluated but the the main point is that this is NOT rocket science. Rather , it’s social science! Applied systematically, humans’ natural observational skills can notice things that are typically ignored. With some analysis, suggestions can be made to improve lives, products, profit margins, whatever.
If you have further questions about the assignment or the course, feel free to contact us at: jmullooly@csufrenso.edu
Note; the following table is used to evaluate these assignments.
Ethnographic Opportunity Analysis Assignment Rubric (Mullooly & Delcore)
| Observation | Analysis | Suggestion | |
| 4 Accomplished (18-20*) | Solid evidence of a period of observation provided. Sufficient details were included to clearly illustrate the problem under investigation. | Clear, concise description of the observed problem. The report illustrates a keen understanding of the problem. | New, clever suggestion for a product or service that directly solves the problem. The solution is novel for the context and sounds practical in terms of resources. |
| 3Competent(16-17) | Some evidence of a period of observation provided. The problem under investigation is evident. | Concise description of the observed problem. The report illustrates an understanding of the problem. | Clever suggestion for a product or service that solves the problem. The solution is novel for the context but impractical. |
| 2Satisfactory(14-15) | Some evidence of an recent observation provided. The problem under investigation is not evident. | Some evidence of an understanding of the observed problem is provided. | The product or service suggestions is not new or does not solve the problem defined or is highly impractical. |
| 1not Satisfactory(12-13) | Little to no evidence of a recent observation done for this project. | Little evidence of analysis or of a problem is provided. | Little evidence of a novel or practical suggestion. |
If you would like examples of well written assignments, send an request to Jmullooly@csufresno.edu
TIMELINE:
In a one to two page pitch, suggest some sort of innovation that will add value.
DUE: next Wednesday March 19 in class.
The best observations will be published on our blog and presented in class on March 20th.
Here are examples of A papers from previous students.
Ethnographic Opportunity Analysis
This afternoon TheAnthroGuys are giving a presentation about our core competency: Analytic Induction. Our objective is to introduce entrepreneurship students to Analytic Induction in search of opportunities to “add value“.
We will be in a lecture hall of entrepreneurship students at Fresno State. Incidentally, the name of the lecture hall is, “Pete P Peters”. As I often tell students of ethnography, reality is usually far more interesting than fiction once you start actually noticing it.
Ethnographers and entrepreneurs share a reliance on inductive skills to accomplish their goals. Once this is understood, we can learn a great deal from each other.
Our presentation can be found here: Ethnographic (Inductive) Opportunity Analysis.
It is importnat to note that the similarities between anthropologists and entrepreneurs are numerous. The table below illustrates this point:
| Anthropologists | Entrepreneurs | Application |
| Trained to think holistically | Intuitively holistic | visionary, iconoclastic |
| Take an evolutionary approach | Forward-looking | know future demands |
| Seek the insider perspective | Intuitively know consumers wants | know when something will have value to others |
| Trained to be inductive | Intuitively inductive | keen observers, see openings |
Other helpful guides include:
-Check out: “A Crash Course on Creativity” (Tina Seelig, Executive Director, Stanford Technology Ventures Program)
-View the following 3 min video entitled: Field Observation with Fresh Eyes by Tom Kelley | IDEO
-View the following 4 min video entitled: Thinking Like a Traveler by Tom Kelley | IDEO
-Read: “Can’t You Just Ask People?” (Delcore)
-Watch: Parc’s use of these techniques.
-Define: The notion of “workarounds”
-Define: Ethnography
Observation Assignment:
1) Conduct some sort of “inductive observation”,
2) analyze your notes, then
3) expand those notes into a brief report about what you found. DESCRIPTION
–Rather than looking into a completely innovative idea (service or product), the goal is to 1) observe something that already works; 2) observe it in great detail; then 3) begin to understand it in such detail that you can 4) make concrete suggestions about improving it.
Steps
–1. Find a routine, taken-for-granted task/service/product,
–2. “Hang out” and “thickly describe” it in a notebook,
–3. In a one page pitch, suggest some sort of innovation that will add value. DUE: next Wednesday October 17th by 3:00pm in class.
–The best observations will be published on our blog and presented in class on October 24th.
We will return to their class to continue this discussion. Our hope is that some – if not all – of these students will see the value of this skill set and in so doing, realize that “thinking out of the box” can be learned.
Assessment
We have included how the assignments are evaluated but the the main point is that this is NOT rocket science. Rather , it’s social science! Applied systematically, humans’ natural observational skills can notice things that are typically ignored. With some analysis, suggestions can be made to improve lives, products, profit margins, whatever.
If you have further questions about the assignment or the course, feel free to contact us at: jmullooly@csufrenso.edu
Note; the following table is used to evaluate these assignments.
Ethnographic Opportunity Analysis Assignment Rubric (Mullooly & Delcore)
| Observation | Analysis | Suggestion | |
|
4 Accomplished (18-20*) |
Solid evidence of a period of observation provided. Sufficient details were included to clearly illustrate the problem under investigation. | Clear, concise description of the observed problem. The report illustrates a keen understanding of the problem. | New, clever suggestion for a product or service that directly solves the problem. The solution is novel for the context and sounds practical in terms of resources. |
|
3 Competent (16-17) |
Some evidence of a period of observation provided. The problem under investigation is evident. | Concise description of the observed problem. The report illustrates an understanding of the problem. | Clever suggestion for a product or service that solves the problem. The solution is novel for the context but impractical. |
|
2 Satisfactory (14-15) |
Some evidence of an recent observation provided. The problem under investigation is not evident. | Some evidence of an understanding of the observed problem is provided. | The product or service suggestions is not new or does not solve the problem defined or is highly impractical. |
|
1 not Satisfactory (12-13) |
Little to no evidence of a recent observation done for this project. | Little evidence of analysis or of a problem is provided. | Little evidence of a novel or practical suggestion. |
If you would like examples of well written assignments, send an request to Jmullooly@csufresno.edu
TIMELINE:
In a one to two page pitch, suggest some sort of innovation that will add value.
DUE: next Wednesday October 17th by 3:00pm in class.
The best observations will be published on our blog and presented in class on October 24th.
Here are examples of A papers from last semester.
TheAnthroGuys returned to Entrep 81 with good news: We found that many students got the idea we were trying to describe.
We have included below how the assignments were graded but the the main point is that this is NOT rocket science. Rather , it’s social science! Applied systematically, humans’ natural observational skills can notice things that are typically ignored. With some analysis, suggestions can be made to improve lives, products, profit margins, whatever.
It is importnat to note that the similarities between anthropologists and entrepreneurs are numerous. The table below illustrates this point:
| Anthropologists | Entrepreneurs | Application |
| Trained to think holistically | Intuitively holistic | visionary, iconoclastic |
| Take an evolutionary approach | Forward-looking | know future demands |
| Seek the insider perspective | Intuitively know consumers wants | know when something will have value to others |
| Trained to be inductive | Intuitively inductive | keen observers, see openings |
For those wishing to continue on this path, you have the opportunity to take our ethnographic methods class (Anth 111, Delcore & Mullooly) in place of ENTR 151 in the Fall 2012 semester.
Fall 2012 Anth 111 will be offered on Tuesdays 6-9pm.
If you have further questions about the assignment or the course, feel free to contact us at: jmullooly@csufrenso.edu
Note; the following table was used to evaluate your assignments.
Ethnographic Opportunity Analysis Assignment Rubric (Mullooly & Delcore)
|
Observation |
Analysis |
Suggestion |
|
|
4 Accomplished (18-20*) |
Solid evidence of a period of observation provided. Sufficient details were included to clearly illustrate the problem under investigation. | Clear, concise description of the observed problem. The report illustrates a keen understanding of the problem. | New, clever suggestion for a product or service that directly solves the problem. The solution is novel for the context and sounds practical in terms of resources. |
|
3 Competent (16-17) |
Some evidence of a period of observation provided. The problem under investigation is evident. | Concise description of the observed problem. The report illustrates an understanding of the problem. | Clever suggestion for a product or service that solves the problem. The solution is novel for the context but impractical. |
|
2 Satisfactory (14-15) |
Some evidence of an recent observation provided. The problem under investigation is not evident. | Some evidence of an understanding of the observed problem is provided. | The product or service suggestions is not new or does not solve the problem defined or is highly impractical. |
|
1 not Satisfactory (12-13) |
Little to no evidence of a recent observation done for this project. | Little evidence of analysis or of a problem is provided. | Little evidence of a novel or practical suggestion. |
This afternoon TheAnthroGuys are giving a presentation about our core competency: Analytic Induction. Our objective is to introduce entrepreneurship students to Analytic Induction in search of opportunities to “add value“.
We will be in a lecture hall of entrepreneurship students at Fresno State. Incidentally, the name of the lecture hall is, “Pete P Peters”. As I often tell students of ethnography, reality is usually far more interesting than fiction once you start actually noticing it.
Ethnographers and entrepreneurs share a reliance on inductive skills to accomplish their goals. Once this is understood, we can learn a great deal from each other.
Our presentation can be found here: Ethnographic (Inductive) Opportunity Analysis.
Other helpful guides include:
-Read: “Can’t You Just Ask People?” (Delcore)
-Watch: Parc’s use of these techniques.
-Define: The notion of “workarounds”
-Define: Ethnography
In a few weeks, we will return to their class to continue this discussion. Our hope is that some – if not all – of these students will see the value of this skill set and in so doing, realize that “thinking out of the box” can be learned.
TheAnthroGuys were recently invited to the The Pulse. Hosted by Timothy Stearns and Tammy Sears
The Pulse is a show about innovators and entrepreneurs who are reshaping the Central Valley….Join us each week as we take the innovative “pulse” of the region.
This week on The Pulse, the AnthroGuy and AnthroGeek, join us in a free form and rather chaotic discussion on ways to foster more innovation in Fresno and the Central Valley. Based on their cumulative work as Professors of Anthropology, Hank Delcore and Jim Mullooly identify several key features of innovation and how the community can expand and develop more. What are some of the most innovative events in Fresno? Find out by tuning in and treat yourself to some fun!
During the show, we mentioned a number of websites that we have listed below:
At these sites, you will find many innovative a fun ways to get involved in “The Pulse” of Fresno!
http://roguefestival.com Rogue March 1-10, 2012
This afternoon TheAnthroGuys are giving a presentation about our core competency: Analytic Induction. Our objective is to introduce entrepreneurship students to Analytic Induction in search of opportunities to “add value“.
We will be in a lecture hall of entrepreneurship students at Fresno State. Incidentally, the name of the lecture hall is, “Pete P Peters”. As I often tell students of ethnography, reality is usually far more interesting than fiction once you start actually noticing it.
Ethnographers and entrepreneurs share a reliance on inductive skills to accomplish their goals. Once this is understood, we can learn a great deal from each other.
Our presentation can be found here: Ethnographic (Inductive) Opportunity Analysis .
In a few weeks, we will return to their class to continue this discussion. Our hope is that some – if not all – of these students will see the value of this skill set and in so doing, realize that “thinking out of the box” can be learned.
This posting was motivated by the following quotation I found in my in box this morning:
I like not to know for as long as possible because then it tells me the truth instead of me imposing the truth. Michael Moschen
TheAnthroGuys spend a great deal of time trying to use and teach the use and limits of analytic induction. This is more than just a curricular objective; it is an impassioned crusade, a holy war against the zombies of common sense. This may sound somewhat over-eager for some but the power of common sense is typically unassailable. Left unchallenged, “common sense” – supported by humans’ penchant for retrospective sense making – claims the final word in most cases.
A case in point is a colleague’s reference to our use of the term “analytic induction” as oxymoronic. But analytic induction is not an oxymoron. Rather, it is an effective methodology of managing many observations made in most research contexts. Deduction and induction can be thought of in cyclical relationship to each other. With analytic induction, one is able to think outside of the box systematically. One can approach problems and expect more than the accidental inspiration of the “ah-ha moment”.
In Ethnography for Marketers (2006), Hy Mariampolski references a term he calls “magic”, to invoke such terminology for the very same reason that we are trying to focus on this problem. In a section entitled, “creating imaginative interpretations” Mariampolski urges readers to move beyond the initial assumptions about what one sees in the field.
Recently published a fine line (2009) further illustrates the power of systematically thinking outside of the common sense. Written by Hartmut Esslinger, founder of Frog Design, this sort of advice could not come from a better source. Esslinger starts the book by pointing out how “out of the box” his approach has been and how very successful it has been due to its rigor.
It is not easy to liberate the truth from the burden of one’s own gut instincts or the sense that seems common to all, but if given enough time, time to “not know for as long as possible”, as Michael Moschen states, then the rich rewards of true creativity become available.
[Final Report recently posted on the IPA website at http://www.csufresno.edu/anthropology/ipa/]
We are excited to announce the acceptance of a session of papers we organized about our Library User Experience Study. We include the session abstract here and posted all of the paper abstracts at TheAnthroGeek.com
Practicing Anthropology in the Shelves: Designing Academic Libraries via Ethnography, a Presentation at the 108th Annual Meeting of the American Anthropological Association, Philadelphia PA
Session Abstract: Anthropology is most relevant to the public when it improves the lives of non-anthropologists. Practicing anthropology, as a type of research done to solve practical problems with relevant stakeholders who stand to gain or lose from a project, has a long tradition outside academia. Conversely, practicing anthropology on a college campus, across disciplines is a relatively recent phenomenon. Responding to this year’s theme, the papers on this panel speak to an “academic public” comprised of non-anthropologists across college campuses. Acknowledging one potential “end” of anthropology as an independent university discipline, panelists illustrate a bright future for practicing anthropology amongst this “academic public”.
Using ethnography to empirically investigate the factors that influence human relations between each other and their environment, practicing anthropology helps provide stakeholders invested and interested in this research to adopt effective and efficient responses to the problems relevant to them. California State University Fresno’s Institute of Public Anthropology (IPA) is an organization dedicated to improving the quality of life in California’s Central Valley through practicing design anthropology. By utilizing a mix of traditional and innovative methodologies, members of the IPA are able to make ethnographic approaches relevant to areas normally ignored by academic anthropology programs. The papers on this panel represent some of the latest research on user experience based upon a 15 month ethnographic investigation of CSU-Fresno’s Henry Madden Library.
In the first paper, Visser presents the context of the study, illuminating the relevance and use of traditional university libraries to “21st century students”. The following two papers by Barela, Arnold and Dotson provide a detailed explication of the background and methods of this study while emphasizing the strategies involved in ascertaining emic conceptualizations of “scholarship” (Barela) and ”library resources” (Arnold and Dotson) by predominantly ”first generation” college students. The next pair of papers by Mullooly, Ruwe and Scroggins explore some of the initial findings and that have evolved from the Library Study in terms of student/librarian disjunctures: disjunctures of the meaning of “reference” (Mullooly and Ruwe) and of perception of time (Scroggins). The final paper by Delcore concludes the presentations with a discussion of the relevance of this sort of investigation to the evolution of design anthropology in relation to a variety of publics. Nancy Fried Foster, a leading voice in anthropological investigations of libraries, will discuss the papers at the close of the session.
The papers represent practicing efforts that analyze pressing issues in the contexts of scholarship, design, integration and innovation. Each presentation will be a rapid, data rich presentation (following the Pecha Kucha format) which will allow for an open discussion to follow including a critical analysis of the benefits of such approaches as well as the potential problems inherent in facing an “academic public”.
anthroguy
Felicia Salcido
TheAnthroGeek
Comments