While in the past anthropology was typically the study of non-Western societies, today anthropologists also work "at home"—wherever in the world that "home" is.

Our embrace of both qualitative and scientific research gives our methods flexibility, depth, and analytical rigor. Ethnography, cultural anthropology's signature set of research methods, is in demand in design, consulting, technology, marketing, human services, and other industries, where it drives innovation through the field of "user experience." 

Ethnographic techniques such as participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and participant photojournaling help researchers view cultural practices and social interactions with new eyes, find implicit patterns and meanings, and see the actual workings of technologies and institutions in practice. For anthropologists, however, ethnography is more than a tool: it is a practice that generates critical thinking and ethical awareness.