Global research ethics at Amazon IMDbPro in Santa Monica

Speakers

Presented by Rachel Carmen Ceasar

What does an anthropologist do all day?

Anthropologists ask complex questions about the human experience:

• How do people expose a violent past when there is no justice? (Spain, South Africa)
• How do clinicians share knowledge at the point of care? (U.S.)
• How might commuters adopt air taxis? (U.S.–Brazil)

The speaker reframes the idea of “exotic” by revealing how research often exoticizes familiar subjects—like Americans themselves. The concept of "Nacirema" (American spelled backwards) drives home that no culture is inherently exotic—only viewed through biased lenses.

🧠 Takeaway 1:

Anthropology is a method to systematically understand people’s problems.

🪞 Research in “Exotic Lands”

Referencing Horace Miner’s classic satire “Body Ritual among the Nacirema,” the presentation highlights how anthropological research can challenge the assumption that Western ways are normal and others are strange.

The rituals of the Nacirema—shrines, charms, and medicine men—mirror everyday American practices, especially around health and wellness, yet are framed to seem foreign.

🧠 Takeaway 2:

There is no exotic, only biases. Again, a call to question our assumptions and recognize our cultural filters.

📚 Researching from a Place of Nowhere

4 Practical Research Principles

1. Literature Review: Do your homework—build on existing work.
2. Research Setting: Be specific—“Africa” is not a single place. Context matters.
3. Research Participants: Treat users as experts. They bring lived knowledge.
4. Hypothesis Formation: Start with questions and knowledge gaps, not preloaded problems or solutions.

🧠 Takeaway 3:

Research from a place that is actually somewhere.

“Sit your knowledge down,” and actively surround yourself with the knowledge of others. Be humble, curious, and rooted in local realities.

Final Summary

• There is no exotic—just bias.
• Use methods to understand real human problems.
• Conduct research from “somewhere,” not “nowhere”—be grounded in local knowledge and relationships.