Cognitive Anthropology w/ Michael Thomas
In this episode of AnthroPuzzled, we sit down with Michael Thomas, Senior VP at Space Doctors, a cultural consulting firm. Michael shares how his background in cognitive anthropology shapes his work, first designing trucks at Ford, then applying ethnographic methods to global branding and consumer insight. His first experience with fieldwork, interviewing truck drivers, revealed just how wrong industry assumptions can be, and ignited his passion for anthropology.
We explore how anthropology helps consultants better understand human behavior, cultural signals, and how products can communicate meaning. Michael explains how culture shapes perception, from what we value to how we make decisions, and how ethnographic research brings those hidden layers to light.
He also critiques the tendency to reduce culture to surface-level traits like fashion or music, arguing for a deeper view that recognizes complexity and difference. Anthropology, he says, is essential to challenging stereotypes and understanding people beyond broad categories.
Tune in to hear how anthropology expands what’s possible in the world of consulting, and how it offers powerful tools for seeing people, culture, and communication in a whole new way.
CONNECT WITH MICHAEL
LinkedIn: Michael Thomas, PhD
RECOMMENDED RESOURCES
The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity by David Graeber & David Wengrow