The Nacirema tribe is a fictional group of people created by American anthropologist Horace Miner in 1956. The name "Nacirema" is "American" spelled backwards, and the tribe is meant to be a satirical reflection of American culture. In the essay "Body Ritual Among the Nacirema," Miner describes the strange and seemingly irrational rituals and beliefs of this tribe, including the extreme importance they place on personal hygiene and the distorted view they have of their own bodies.
While the Nacirema tribe is not a real group of people, the essay is often used in anthropology classes as a way to challenge students to think critically about their own culture and to recognize the cultural relativism of anthropological study. The essay highlights the fact that all cultures have their own unique customs and beliefs, and that it is important for anthropologists to approach the study of other cultures with an open mind and without judgment.
The Nacirema tribe is not located in any specific location, as it is a fictional creation. It is meant to be a metaphor for American culture, and the rituals and beliefs described in the essay can be seen as exaggerated or distorted versions of American cultural norms and values.
The Nacirema Tribe of North America
Need an academic paper without any mistakes or plagiarism? I was able, however, to establish sufficient rapport with the natives to examine these shrines and to have the rituals described to me. In return they delight their worshippers with many more entertaining displays of agility and intelligence. My overall impression about this culture is not optimistic. Most people in the culture have at least one shrine dedicated to their physical health. Some are successful and receive awe and admiration from their peers.
The Nacirema believe that ceremonies and rituals can be used to avoid disease. The more elaborate ceremonies required to treat very sick patients can only be performed at this temple. Case study of mercury poisoning in canada environmental sciences essay Between 1962 and 1970, the Wabigon river which was considered as a really of import fresh water resource in the north-western portion of Ontario, and a major beginning of nutrient supply for the people of Grassy Narrows and the Wabasseemoong. Sounds like the ancient and secret language that the Nacierma speak of. What are the shrines in Nacirema? The temple seems to portray death to some but it is considered a haven for healing from within the civilization.
Nacirema Essay Examples and Research Papers on webapi.bu.edu Free argumenttive, persuasive and narrative essay samples
One comparable thing is that everyone, no matter your culture or who you are, has a focus of concern towards their own appearance and health. Thompson's paper, unlike Miner's, primarily offered a The high esteem of the cult is demonstrated by the fact that near every population center, when not disturbed by the accumulation of debris, archaeologists have found large and orderly collections of the Elibomotua cult symbol. Miner made the effort to allow others to realize that the way studies were representing distinctive culture was biased. One has but to watch the gleam in the eye of a holy-mouth-man, as he jabs an awl into an exposed nerve, to suspect that a certain amount of sadism is involved. Miner relates the culture, practices, values, and beliefs of a seemingly exotic and strange tribe. Intercourse is taboo as a topic and scheduled as an act. The magical packets are so numerous that people forget what their purposes were and fear to use them again.
These preparations are secured from a variety of specialized practitioners. Therefore, it is increasingly important to learn to step outside of our accustomed perspective and to be aware of others we interact with, as well as of our own biases, viewpoints, and barriers. Importantly, thesociological imaginationbegins to engage and develop as we recapture the ability to be astonished by what we normally take for granted. Many of the rituals that we have in North America involve manipulating our image and this value contradicts the enlightened and rational creatures we sometimes imagine ourselves to be. One of the behavior is the belief in the ugliness of human body. .
Efforts are made to avoid pregnancy by the use of magical materials or by limiting intercourse to certain phases of the moon. This blog is a personal project of Jason Antrosio, author of Living Anthropologically is part of the Amazon Associates program and earns a commission from qualifying purchases, including ads and Amazon text links. An average observer would say that it is strange, at least. A single value or pattern of perceiving the world often leaves its stamp on several institutions in the society. Throughout his article, Miner also provides a viewpoint understanding how Americans do similar rituals in a unique point of view.
He talks about the rituals they have and how they care for their bodies and try to make it look beautiful because they believe that the human body is ugly and that is the reason why we decay when we die. This writing is understood only by the medicine men and by the herbalists who, for another gift, provide the required charm. The people who command the highest amount of admiration and influence among the Nacirema are those who have shown themselves to be successful in the art of accumulating wealth. Further, certain clothes and jewelry-makers are deemed arbitrarily better than other clothe-makers. The following are her observations; It seems that the people of Nacirema, in addition to their personal shrines in the home, have many other shrines they visit for different rituals and purposes. In society, we are told what is pretty from what is ugly.
For example, there is a ritual ablution of the mouth for children which is supposed to improve their moral fiber. We need to care for others as we attempt to build a world together. Mexico The Nacirema are a group of people who live in the territory north of the Tarahuamare people of Mexico. In fact, if all of the logically possible combinations of behavior have not been found somewhere in the world, he is apt to suspect that they must be present in some yet undescribed tribe. The device was provided with its own climate control system as well as a system that screened out many of the shorter rays of the light spectrum. This job is reserved for only the bravest of the Nacireman tribe, as many lives have been lost in the evolution and developments of these temples.
“Body Ritual among the Nacirema” by Horace Miner
He uses confusing vocabulary words to make it hard for use to know who the article is talking about. What makes Miner more uncomfortable is that women even bake their head in small ovens for an hour. This myth is extremely prevalent, despite there being a statistically insignificant number of success stories wherein members were able to ascend the class ladder. In addition, nursing their infants is not a common practice for most women. The Regit swiftly relieved the tribesman of his arm as a …show more content… The biggest difference to this observer is that the creatures on average seem to be more docile; with the exception of a few species dominated by something they call a Krahs.
Miner is actually talking about the American culture. The daily body ritual performed by everyone includes a mouth-rite. The article demonstrates that attitudes about the body have a widespread influence on many social institutions. I was surprised to see that in every religion they usually have an image of God to worship, but Nacirema people does not. This area is the United States of America and upon recognizing the location, the reader starts to become cognizant of the presence of an ulterior message. Nothing could be more interesting than to present a cultural analysis of the Nacirema and discern the true nature of their existence.
In fact, anthropologists found that many of the actions taken by those in the upper class including the tribal leaders and chiefs, who are often included in the upper class actually serve to perpetuate the inequality found between the classes. Our review of the ritual life of the Nacirema has certainly shown them to be a magic-ridden people. The only gift that I give my Doctor is money in the form of cash, check or credit card. But the outsider views pulling out these magical packets is not something done in their culture or rather not seen as necessary. They believe that ritual activities could change their bodies both physically and mentally. They are in North America between Canada and Mexico being the United States. This area is the United States of America and upon recognizing the location, the reader starts to become cognizant of the presence of an ulterior message.
