Think Like an Anthropologist

Many of the tools created in the twentieth century are ineffective in dealing with “human problems”. Science and technology have achieved a breakthrough by building the vaccines in record time. To decide on how to allocate the vaccine is not a problem that logic can share. We need to understand how incentives work. The political leaders understand this much better than the scientists in the lab. They understand the context and culture of the country.

We don’t do even if it is good for us

Scientists believe that if you give people information, the people will do something. They believe that telling people that the vaccine will keep them safe is enough to get the people to line up. I had predicted 2021 to be the year of convincing others. That has turned out to be true. There are countries who have enough and more of the vaccine but cannot get people to take the jab.

Then there are the poor countries that cannot get the vaccine because several countries pledged money to help others and then did not live up to the promise.

“All adults in America are now eligible for a covid-19 vaccine. Around 30% of those polled in the country, however, are hesitant to take the jab. A shortage of vaccines will soon become a shortage of arms. What is the best way to persuade reluctant citizens to get inoculated?” <listen to this>

Think like an anthropologist when you want to understand the not-so-logical human being

Think like an anthropologist

Gillian Tate’s new book Anthro-Vision: A New Way to See in Business and Life explores how anthropologists understand other cultures and then connect it back to their own environment.
I have argued that HR must be designed for irrational human beings if we want to make it work. Understanding emotions is the place to start. <Read this>