Coming of Age in the Corporate Context: Exploring the Non-Linear Transition from Student to Practitioner and Back Again

Coming of Age in the Corporate Context: Exploring the Non-Linear Transition from Student to Practitioner and Back Again 

 

CHAIR: RAMER, S. Angela (UNT) 

 

PAHL, Shane (UNT) So You’re Interested in Business Anthropology, Now What? 

 

SANTEE, Amy (Empirical Rsch & Design) What Are You Doing Here?: Making the Academy-toBusiness Transition as a Practicing Anthropologist 

 

TAYLOR, E. Gigi (TX State U) On Becoming an Anthropologist: The Transition from a Practicing Qualitative Researcher (“the Other”) to an Academically Trained Anthropologist (“Us”) 

 

RAMER, S. Angela (UNT) Design Research for Designer Clients: A Study of an Architecture Firm’s Own Workspace

 

Coming of Age in the Corporate Context: Exploring the Non-Linear Transition from Student to Practitioner and Back Again. The process of taking anthropology from the safety of the classroom into the chaos of the corporate office can be awkward, intimidating, and yet highly rewarding. It involves observing new rituals, learning new languages, and embracing cultural norms in “exotic” industry environments. This session presents a cumulative breadth of experiences from undergraduate studies through graduate theses and first jobs, to a return to academia after a career in industry.  These lessons learned provide valuable insights for those considering a career path in business and design anthropology.

 

Session took place in Albuquerque, NM at the 74th Annual Meeting of the Society for Applied Anthropology in March 2014.