Anthropologists Quote by Lily King
“I think of companies like Nokia having anthropologists who study how people use cell phones, who do that kind of commercial and marketing work, selling out to corporations. I wonder if that has something to do with the image of the more innocent anthropologist, now gone.”
About This Quote
Corporations employ anthropologists to study user behavior, blurring the line between academic purity and commercial exploitation.
In simple terms: Anthropologists work for companies, raising ethical concerns.
Key Takeaway
Critically assess the impact of commercial research on anthropology.
Themes
ethics
anthropology
corporate influence
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
academic
professional
When to use this quote
- marketing campaigns
- product design
- user studies
Key Concepts
commercialization
research integrity
Questions to Reflect On
- Is it possible to stay objective while being paid?
- What responsibilities do anthropologists have to the public?
A Different Perspective
Commercial goals may bias findings.
![“Anthropology has always struggled with an intense, fascinated repulsion towards its subject… [The anthropologist] submits himself to the exotic to confirm his own inner alienation as an urban intellectual.” quote by Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/fe1/susan-sontag-332_alienation_anthropology-has-always-struggled-with-a_15322.jpg)
