Fall 2012  

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Washington University in
St. Louis

Department of Anthropology

Arts & Sciences

College of Arts & Sciences

Graduate School of Arts & Sciences

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Exploring the Versatility of the Anthropology Degree from Marketing to Sustainable Development
by Jennifer Perry, AB 2000

Jennifer Perry works on participatory mapping research with urban farmers in Tema, Ghana.

Since graduating in 2000, my studies in anthropology have played a big role in how my career path has developed over time. My first 'real' jobs after college were working in consumer market research at Synovate, and then at The Nielsen Company, in Chicago. I found that my studies offered many transferable skills and helpful knowledge: a developed interest in how and why people behave the way they do, the conceptual tools to break down those behaviors, grounding in social sciences and research methods in general, and, of course, intercultural understanding and sensitivity (key for working effectively with clients and colleagues across countries).

During my time in market research, I had the opportunity to manage many multicountry research projects for consumer packaged goods companies—including Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Kraft, and Nestlé—to test new product ideas among consumers, as well as develop new tools and services to help clients better understand the markets for their products across countries. This career path gave me the opportunity to eventually live and work in Germany and the UK to take on different international roles. Having a grounding in anthropology provided me with the knowledge to know what potential cultural issues or preferences may come into play in a given context and how to ask the right questions to solicit relevant information from consumers across countries. While I never intended to work in market research when studying, this was a welcome and interesting application of what I had learned at Wash U in a private-sector context. This is also a testament to the versatility of the anthropology degree, particularly if paired with classes in complementary subjects of interest like economics, languages, business, statistics, and international relations.

After working for several years, I decided to go back to my 'roots' in a sense and pursue an MSc in Environment and Sustainable Development at University College London. The program focused on how to address environmental issues and debates within international development. It provided an opportunity to learn with young professionals and academics from all over the world, many of whom had worked on these issues in a practical context. During this time, I also had the opportunity to do volunteer consulting on a guest farm in Namibia and to conduct participatory research and mapping among urban farmers in Accra, Ghana, with my fellow students. These experiences gave me more practical understanding of how to operate in a developing country and further enhanced my interest in pursuing a career in development.

Upon finishing the MSc, I started working with a small development consulting firm, Economic Development Initiatives, in the UK, where I provided research consultancy and training to national statistics bureaus and NGOs in sub-Saharan Africa to improve fieldwork and data collection methodologies. The topics of the research—including basic household panel surveys, maternal and child health, malaria prevention, and agricultural production—varied widely. For example, one key project conducted in partnership with the World Bank and the Uganda Bureau of Statistics sought to improve the consistency, comparability, and reliability of survey data being collected on household consumption and agricultural production in Uganda. In addition to designing and building electronic survey tools, this involved piloting the surveys with the team in Uganda, and providing survey, data management, and logistics training to interviewers and field staff prior to fieldwork. Improving the accuracy of such data across countries plays a critical role in helping policymakers, the development community, and others understand living standards, poverty, and inequality.

In January, my husband and I welcomed our first child, so I am taking some time off this year to spend with my family. However, I hope to pursue a UK-based development consulting role later in the year.