Anderson studied at the University of Chicago under Robert E. Park and Ernest Burgess, whose Concentric zone model was one of the earliest models developed to explain the organization of urban areas.
Anderson's first publication, The Hobo (1923),[2] was a work that used participant observation as a research method.
He continued to publish work on hobos and the homeless under the alias Dean Stiff.
In 1965, he joined the Department of Sociology at the University of New Brunswick, where he served as a professor until 1977.
[citation needed] Throughout his career, Dr. Anderson's research focused on issues of contemporary relevance such as healthy cities and marginalized people.