Anthropology is the scientific study of human behavior and includes language, culture, norms, values and how such factors influence social life.
I used to think it was a boring subject but now with so many protest movements on the rise around the world, anthropologists are in demand.
In the United States, the median salary for one is about US$62,000 (HK$483,600) a year so it is not a high- paying job.
However, it is an interesting one, and there are many research programs that a graduate student can apply for.
I predict there will be greater demand for such professionals.
I was reading a book, entitled Ghetto at the Center of the World, about Chungking Mansions recently.
The author, Gordon Mathews, spent three years writing it with the help of a team that even went into Africa.
It was all paid for by the Chinese University, where he is a professor.
The book would be an eye-opener for readers, as it is in Chungking Mansions that southeast Asian merchants operate out of, sending made-in-China goods like watches and electronics to Africa.
It is through such trade that the cultural divide was overcome as many Africans had difficulty getting a visa for the mainland but not for Hong Kong.
Recently, I understand, another anthropology professor was commissioned to do a report for the Indonesian government or one of its agencies on protests that erupted in Jakarta over alleged blasphemy committed by Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, a Christian ally of the country's president.
The report, discussed on Channel News Asia, explained the views of these protesters, no matter how unreasonable they were, and what brought them out into the streets in such large numbers that the government couldn't ignore them.
Similarly, I think one of the universities here should appoint an anthropology professor to research why this city is so divided.
The first person the researcher should interview is Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor herself.
The research may reveal why she is so out of touch and makes decisions in a manner that is so unreal and unpopular to most ordinary people in the streets.
Even though she has no private-sector experience, she does have Executive Council members who are from the sector to assist and advise her, so what went wrong and why?
The protesters should also be interviewed, and their backgrounds can be highlighted, including their peer groups such as teachers, and also other stakeholders in society.
Indonesia has a Muslim and non-Muslim divide, and according to some press reports, the anti-Chinese social media movement scares ethnic Chinese there more than the outbreak as they are calling for the expulsion of all Chinese workers from the country.
The current president, who is not anti-Chinese, is considering a plan to create more jobs for the military so that he does not have unhappy colonels who may shift their loyalties to an opposition camp that represents a more extreme Islamic segment.
In Hong Kong, we have a so-called yellow and blue divide.
Even though all of the players here are Chinese, there are also cultural distinctions involved, so it should be an interesting report if all parties cooperate and agree to be interviewed.
Whoever gets the job of chief executive after Lam has to be a good communicator.
Communications is now a popular course offered in many universities and qualifies you for many jobs - a TV broadcaster, a banker, a life coach, a writer and, I dare say, a chief executive of the SAR.
Susan Liang is a lawyer who likes to speak her mind on issues that concern the man on the street
