Applied anthropology is the practical use of our professional knowledge and skills to resolve social and organizational issues. The study of man is no longer a degree for museum directors. Citicorp created a vice presidency for anthropologist Steve Barnett, who discovered early warning signs to identify people who don t pay credit card bills. Not satisfied with consumer surveys, Hallmark is sending anthropologists into the homes of immigrants, attending holidays and birthday parties to design cards they ll want. No survey can tell engineers what women really want in a razor, so marketing consultant Hauser Design sends anthropologists into bathrooms to watch them shave their legs.
Textbooks now have chapters on business applications.
The University of South Florida has created a course of study for anthropologists headed for commerce. Motorola corporate lawyer Robert Faulkner got his anthropology degree before going to law school. He says it becomes increasingly valuable as he is promoted into management. Koss, now 44, heeded the advice, earned an anthropology degree from Beloit College in 1976, and is today CEO of the Koss headphone manufacturer. Katherine Burr, CEO of The Hanseatic Group, has masters in both anthropology and business from the University of New Mexico.