In this episode of the Anthropology in Business podcast, Dariusz Jemielniak speaks with Matt Artz about his career as a business anthropologist. Dariusz shares his journey from anthropology to becoming a Wikipedian and shares his perspective on the intersection of anthropology and data science. He emphasizes the value of programming skills, particularly Python, for ethnographers in effectively analyzing and interpreting data. The discussion explores the significance of data visualization as a tool for comprehending and conveying research findings. Dariusz also highlights the advantages of employing computational methods such as data scraping and visualization to gain a comprehensive understanding of online communities. Moreover, he advocates for anthropology departments to embrace computational approaches in order to remain relevant in a changing research landscape.
About Dariusz Jemielniak
Dariusz Jemielniak is a Wikipedian, Full Professor of Management, author, and entrepreneur with a diverse range of expertise. He is an active member of the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees for the Wikimedia Foundation and has conducted extensive research on the open collaboration movement, media file-sharing practices, and political memes’ communities. Having held visiting appointments at prestigious institutions such as Harvard, MIT, and UC Berkeley, he has delved into topics like software engineers’ workplace culture. Dariusz’s current focus is on exploring the collaborative society phenomenon, examining how technology enhances people’s natural tendency to cooperate. Alongside his academic pursuits, he has co-founded and led RunPixie, an AI image recognition startup combating race photo fraud, and previously established successful platforms like InstaLing and Foap. Dariusz is also an accomplished author with notable works, including “Thick Big Data” and “Common Knowledge?: An Ethnography of Wikipedia.”
Key Moments
00:00:33 – Dariusz Jemielniak’s background in anthropology and digital ethnography
00:08:18 – The value of learning Python and R for data analysis
00:20:49 – The need for traditional ethnographers to work with data scientists
00:27:36 – The role of academic programs in teaching modern research methods
00:28:00 – The benefits of combining qualitative methods and quantitative methods
00:29:14 – The importance of learning Python and R for data visualization
00:27:31 – The need for programs to teach mixed methods approaches
00:28:04 – The fossilization of anthropology and ethnography
00:30:22 – The challenge of quant and qual coming together
00:32:46 – The value of ethnography in adding meaning and interpretation
