I was a cultural anthropology major at Cal, and I loved it. I loved reading ethnographies of isolated and fantastic cultures, and noticing how similar people are all over the world. And I always thought the "study of man" ought to be applied to journalism and media. This piece in the NY Post agrees.

It's reg only (dammit) but the first few lines give a sense of it:

September 8, 2005 -- It's a long way from Samoa to the supermarket aisles, but in a growing trend among market researchers, anthropologists trained to study isolated tribes in the South Pacific are shifting their focus to the behavior of American households.

Advertisers say the academic approach — known as ethnography — is challenging the traditional focus group to give marketers an understanding of consumer likes and dislikes.

I'd say that if marketers watch the ongoing conversational dance of blog authors and their audiences, much could be learned as well....