Recently, anthropological research has begun to look at the upper segments of society, such as financial institutions, aid and development agencies, medical laboratories, and doctors. what is this process called?

I believe the answer is: Studying up

The term 'studying up' refers to the process of observing and analyzing the main power holders in society to make sense of the society that we see today. This include observing their default situations, their activities, their interaction with other groups in society, etc.