Intelligence Squared Gillian Tett on a New Way To Understand Business and Life
Jun 11, 2021
Gillian Tett, a Financial Times journalist and bestselling author with a PhD in anthropology, discusses how anthropological insights can enhance our understanding of business and life. She shares transformative experiences from her time in Tajikistan, emphasizing cultural context in consumer behavior. Tett also tackles the ethical implications of data usage in journalism and explores lessons from the pandemic, urging individuals to embrace their inner anthropologists to navigate societal changes and cultural contrasts.
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Tajikistan Research
- Gillian Tett started her anthropology research in Soviet Tajikistan in 1992, during the last days of the Soviet Union.
- She returned as a journalist during the civil war, where a colleague questioned the relevance of anthropology amidst gunfire.
Embracing Culture Shock
- Anthropology's core principle involves embracing culture shock to gain empathy and self-awareness.
- Immersing oneself in different cultures helps reveal hidden aspects of one's own worldview.
Evolution of Anthropology
- Early anthropology had racist and colonial biases, aiming to rank societies on an evolutionary scale.
- Modern anthropology emphasizes cultural relativism, celebrating diversity and recognizing multiple valid ways of life.
