Meeting the Yeti: Learning about design ethnography and teaching anthropological habitus in a student‐led project on “disconnection”

Abstract

Our discipline fetishizes ethnography yet tends to keep the prize out of undergraduate students’ reach, citing practical constraints for letting students do real fieldwork. This leaves students already struggling with the question of what to do with a cultural anthropology degree in a difficult place. Anthropology's main promise—to understand other cultures through a deep engagement with ordinary people—is one they have never experienced personally. Yet they will have to justify their choice of university degree in years to come. This article discusses an experimental course at Colorado State University in the growing field of design anthropology in which a student team of researchers collaborated with a team of product managers, innovation strategists, and designers at Otterbox, a locally headquartered company that makes protective smartphone covers. Students practiced a condensed form of ethnographic research with smartphone users in Northern Colorado and investigated the theme of “disconnection” from technology. [design anthropology, technology, business anthropology]

“Involve me and I learn”: Teaching and applying anthropology

“…Following this, three articles focus on examples of preparing students using client‐driven class projects or programs (Brondo et al. 2016; Brooks ; Hale ). These authors give examples of teaching practicing anthropology where students in specific classes work with clients to complete projects that include deliverables for those clients or programs.…”

“…Hale () presents an example of engaging undergraduate students in practicing design anthropology though a class project that has students conducting ethnographic research for Otterbox, a company that creates resistant cellphone cases. Here, students learn anthropological methods through hands‐on experience while simultaneously becoming practicing anthropologists by investigating design issues for a specific professional client.…”

Creating a better tomorrow: Teaching applied cultural anthropological research by reimagining service learning and community engagement

“…In addition, anthropology students gained a much better appreciation for planning and implementing projects as well as assessing these and outcomes (see Brondo et al. ; Hale for other examples). Furthermore, involvement in this project assisted M.A.…”

Thinking outside anthropology's box: Socializing undergraduates through collaborative research, teaching, and service

“…However, as members of HBERG they benefit from weekly support, guidance, and collaboration with others. Providing undergraduates ethnographic experience enhances their breadth in understanding the scientific method and its intersection with humanistic pursuits, and provides a foundation upon which to build further skills (Glass‐Coffin , Hale ). This biocultural research integration aligns anthropology well with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) used to evaluate STEM education, which advocate learning activities such as these that enrich student capacities with regard to “crosscutting concepts.” Participating in HBERG via studies such as FRS and BREST enhances students’ comprehension of the nature of science and research (NGSS Lead States ).…”