Word of Mouth

How to Think Like an Anthropologist, with Gillian Tett

Feb 20, 2024

Gillian Tett, a Financial Times columnist and anthropologist, discusses the importance of language in her work and why we should think like anthropologists. Topics include the etymology of words like 'company' and 'bank', similarities between Brits and Japanese in the workplace, and the value of anthropological thinking in today's world.

27:46

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Episode guests

Gillian Tett

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Quick takeaways

Language is vital in reflecting and shaping culture, urging us to immerse in diverse environments.

Understanding organizational behavior through an anthropological lens challenges assumptions and provides fresh perspectives.

Deep dives

Analyzing Children's Reactions to Books

Children's responses to books are studied by university students engaging them in discussions, performances, and artwork to understand their behavior and interactions. Students, resembling anthropologists, observe and analyze how children behave and communicate during these activities, revealing insights similar to participant observers in a community.

Introduction

2min

The Role of Language in Anthropology

4min

Evolution of Company and Office Etymology

4min

Workplace Dynamics in the Digital Age

2min

Decoding Financial Language and Cultural Nuances

14min

The Paradox of Valuing Anthropology in a Technological World

3min

"If you want to hide something in the 21st century world, you don't need to create a James Bond style plot. Just cover it in acronyms".

Gillian Tett is a columnist at the Financial Times, but she initially trained as a cultural anthropologist, studying marriage rituals in Tajikistan.

She joins Michael Rosen to discuss how the study of language has been vital to her work, who continues to see the world through the lens of an anthropologist. The pair talk about the etymology of words like 'company', 'office', and 'bank', why we should all speak more like the Dutch, how Brits in the workplace are more similar to the Japanese, and why it would be useful for all of us to think more like an anthropologist.

Gillian Tett is the author of Fool's Gold, The Silo Effect, and Antho-Vision.

Producer: Eliza Lomas, BBC Audio Bristol.

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Word of Mouth

How to Think Like an Anthropologist, with Gillian Tett

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

Analyzing Children's Reactions to Books

Applying Anthropology to Business

Reevaluating Office Dynamics and Language in Business

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts