Cultural anthropologists conduct research on social and cultural life to explore aspects of human experiences that are often hidden beneath the surface of our everyday interactions. But how does an anthropologist conduct research? What does a cultural anthropologist actually do?

In the following short film by Director Chris Boebel and MIT Video Productions, three MIT anthropologists--Stefan Helmreich, Erica James and Heather Paxson--take us into the field, from an artisan cheese factory in Vermont to a research submersible, to show viewers what anthropological fieldwork looks like on the ground...and underwater. 

"Doing Anthropology" is available on the Web through MIT TechTV.