What Do Anthropologists Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

Job Description

Anthropologists research, evaluate, and establish public policy concerning the origins of humans; their physical, social, linguistic, and cultural development; and their behavior, as well as the cultures, organizations, and institutions they have created. They also collect information and make judgments through observation, interviews, and review of documents.

Other tasks include:

• Write about and present research findings for a variety of specialized and general audiences.
• Teach and mentor undergraduate and graduate students in anthropology.
• Plan and direct research to characterize and compare the economic, demographic, health care, social, political, linguistic, and religious institutions of distinct cultural groups, communities, and organizations.
• Gather and analyze artifacts and skeletal remains to increase knowledge of ancient cultures.
• Explain the origins and physical, social, or cultural development of humans, including physical attributes, cultural traditions, beliefs, languages, resource management practices, and settlement patterns.
• Identify culturally specific beliefs and practices affecting health status and access to services for distinct populations and communities, in collaboration with medical and public health officials.

We asked Anthropologists how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

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66% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 51% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.

Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Anthropologists teach and mentor undergraduate and graduate students in anthropology. They explain the origins and physical, social, or cultural development of humans, including physical attributes, cultural traditions, beliefs, languages, resource management practices, and settlement patterns.

• Collect information and make judgments through observation, interviews, and review of documents.
• Create data records for use in describing and analyzing social patterns and processes, using photography, videography, and audio recordings.
• Write about and present research findings for a variety of specialized and general audiences.
• Build and use text-based database management systems to support the analysis of detailed first-hand observational records, or field notes.
• Collaborate with economic development planners to decide on the implementation of proposed development policies, plans, and programs based on culturally institutionalized barriers and facilitating circumstances.

We asked some Anthropologists a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

	Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job?	50% said yes
	How important is it to work in a team in this job?	32% said very important
	Do you have group discussions everyday in this job?	64% said yes
	Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job?	18% said yes
	Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job?	0% said yes
	Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job?	7% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Anthropologists also gather and analyze artifacts and skeletal remains to increase knowledge of ancient cultures. They may also apply systematic sampling techniques to ensure the accuracy, completeness, precision, and representativeness of individuals selected for sample surveys.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Anthropologists Develop intervention procedures, using techniques such as individual and focus group interviews, consultations, and participant observation of social interaction. They might also Advise government agencies, private organizations, and communities regarding proposed programs, plans, and policies and their potential impacts on cultural institutions, organizations, and communities.

In addition, they Examine museum collections of hominid fossils to classify anatomical and physiological variations and to determine how they fit into evolutionary theory.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Train others in the application of ethnographic research methods to solve problems in organizational effectiveness, communications, technology development, policy making, and program planning.

To some Anthropologists, it is also their responsibility to Collect information and make judgments through observation, interviews, and review of documents.

Working life

More than 40 hours per week

Irregular work schedule that changes depending on weather conditions, customer demand or contract duration.

In a typical work week as an Anthropologist, you can expect to work more than 40 hours per week.

Is this right for me

People who are suitable for this job tends to like working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. They like searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally..

They also like working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

You can read more about these career personality types here.

Explore other careers

http://www.bls.gov/OOH/life-physical-and-social-science/anthropologists-and-archeologists.htm

http://www.aaanet.org/

http://www.archaeological.org/

http://www.physanth.org/