Research Anthropologist

Because it’s all about the study of human beings, anthropology is among the most narcissistic of all social sciences. It’s also among the most interesting, however — and when you’re a Research Anthropologist, you’re in the thick of it.

While many Anthropologists work at colleges and universities, where they’re required to teach classes to students, a Research Anthropologist works for museums, nonprofits and government agencies, where the exclusive focus is — you guessed it — research.

Employed by organizations that want to make scholarly contributions to their industries — and to society at large — a Research Anthropologist is tasked with conceptualizing and executing anthropological studies of present-day or past societies, which requires you to travel to research sites, such as tribal villages or archaeological digs; build relationships with indigenous communities; observe cultures, taking notes about customs, beliefs and behaviors; and gather information, either by conducting interviews or by collecting artifacts.

Specializing in one of several fields, such as archaeology, ethnography or physical anthropology, you act a lot like a Scientist in the fields of physics, chemistry and biology. That is: Consistent with the classic scientific method, you spend your days making hypotheses, collecting evidence to prove or disprove them, then writing reports in which you express your conclusions.

Ultimately, those reports are your main objective, as you’re paid not only to conduct research, but also to produce research findings that contribute to the cultural canon. As a result, your end goal is to uncover new knowledge about human societies that can be shared in exhibits, articles and presentations.