Corporate Ethnographer On the Hunt in Big Data
Hello, my name is Giselle, and I am a senior at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, pursuing a B.A. in Media and Communication Studies with Minors in Statistics and Music Performance. I am currently working at Nielsen in Tampa, Florida within the Technology and Data Science Sectors, and am looking to make the move into anthropological research in Data Science. Data science has always interested me, and with its recent growth within the technological industries, it would be interesting to understand the way that researchers handle large, complex data sets. In addition, I will investigate how people use and learn data science methods, make sense of data, and how they use this data in further projects and collaborations.
Anthropologists at companies like Intel and Microsoft “combine corporate work with research” (Peake). I will aim to conduct research on groups within the data science field to understand the cultural changes that reshape how data-intensive work is completed. With these opportunities, we can discover the most up-to-date methods of working with big data, as well as developing new technology. Below is an info graphic detailing a road map to Data Science.
I believe that I am qualified to conduct this research because of my background in both anthropology and statistics. In essence, Data Science is an interdisciplinary field that pulls from a strong background in Mathematics & Statistics, Programming & Databasing, Communication, and Substantive Logical Expertise. Throughout my university career, and throughout multiple internships, I do believe that I have gained the experience and education in the mathematical, programming, and communication fields to understand the workings of the Data Science Sector.
As for anthropology, I have been groomed through my educational experiences to think in an ethnographic manner, and have furthered those experiences with a handful of university classes within the Anthropology Department. I consider myself to be a detail-oriented person, which can help me make observations for my research. However, I believe that I can always improve on providing an unbiased opinion. Because I have strong opinions, it can be hard sometimes to keep my own beliefs at bay, and to just look at the information in front of me with an unbiased opinion. However, I am always looking to improve myself, and look forward to my next chapter in ethnographic research in the corporate world.
Works Cited
Peake, Bryce. “Media Anthropology: Meaning, Embodiment, Infrastructure, and Activism.” Perspectives: An Open Invitation to Cultural Anthropology (n.d.): n. pag. Web.
