Nacirema Analysis

Ethnocentrism is the belief in the superiority of one’s own group. It’s a universal habit that ethnocentric individuals tend to compare and judge other cultural practices to be inferior. Ethnocentrism encourages the solidarity in groups; it creates the feeling of belonging and drives the individuals to build pride in the group. However, ethnocentrism hinders the understanding of the cooperation with other groups. With the sense of superiority, there is little incentive to interact with the inferior groups. While making generalization about the culture and customs of others, ethnocentric individuals aren’t being aware that they tend to make false assumptions regarding the cultural differences. Furthermore, extreme ethnocentrism is likely to

Furthermore, the Nacirema seek help of the “temple” or “latipso” for other serious illnesses, comprised mainly of medicine men and other female specialists. The culture’s devotion to rituals is undeniable as a considerable sum is required for the service of the “temple,” although “these temple ceremonies may not cure, and may even kill the neophyte, in no way decreases the people’s faith in the medicine men” (173). This belief of the “temple” constitutes checking in to the hospital to treat diseases in the American culture. Often times a significant hospital fee needs to be paid for even a short visit and it is not guaranteed that one would be healed as a result. The American culture’s “ fundamental belief…human body is ugly and its natural tendency is to debility and disease” can help explain the society’s faith in hospitals

Miner (1956) discussed the body rituals among the Nacirema. The Nacirema are human beings, just like all other humans. They bleed, they love, they are born, and they die. However, for some reason, the Nacirema consider themselves a special breed of humans. This belief is so ingrained in their traditions and cultures that some have taken it to the extreme. Scholars have argued that the Nacirema’s inflated sense of pride stems from the greatness of their ancestors. They descended from a great group of warriors who came together and agreed on the future of their descendants. This essay will examine the Nacirema’s obsession with oil and how this informs their aggressive behavior.

I had never heard of the ancient Cahokia before reading the “America Before Columbus” article. What I found most surprising is that the Cahokia had been a civilization in America that flourished and perished before Columbus even discovered the New World. Europeans had the misconception that the land discovered by Columbus was not settled and that no civilizations had existed before Columbus arrived. They believed the only inhabitants were tribes that continually wandered and made no attempt to stay in one place, farm, or build communities. The European believes were not accurate considering the Cahokia had built ceremonial grounds, cultivated and farmed crops, and used wood from forests to make stockade walls.

The main theory that the Nacirema have about these rituals is that the human body is ugly and that it is natural for it to be vulnerable to decay and disease. Every Nacireman household has one or more shrines

The basic focus of nacirema people is their bodies appearance and the way of which they should be cared for. This is their main focus because they believe that the human body is ugly and its main tendency is to disability and disease. Therefore they complete powerful rituals and ceremonies to try and rid these natural tendencies of which they despise so much. The shrine these ceremonies are performed to and in front of is a box or chest built into the wall that holds many charms and potions that are believed to be magic. A daily ritual is the mouth-rite where a bundle of hog hairs and magical powder is inserted into the mouth and a series of movements are done. Then twice a year they visit a holy mouth man who performs an exorcism on the mouth

In the early days there was no doctor, so there were wise men or women that knew of many good home remedies. Remedies were verbally told from person to person, one generation to the next. This wise men or women were looked up on. Now this people are not very trusted, now that there is education and there’s actual books that show a person what can be taken and what should not. Now in days not many people go to a healer, they rather just go to a real doctor. This was a very big deal since this group has always been very traditional and has always wanted to keep their culture and customs going, without any outsiders coming and interrupting them.

This practice consists of the use of an ancient technology called a "llec enohp". These objects apparently held lots of power and could be used for many different things. Most of the tribe’s members used them for communication, travel assistance, and holding memories. A llec enohp looked like a very small and thin box in which they believed, whenever a Nacirema charged his or her

A photograph of the sculpture from the Ancient Greece with its name “Grave Naiskos of an Enthroned Woman with an Attendant" display at the J Paul Getty Museum (California).It has become a controversial topic recently when it it describes a girl who offer her owner something which looks like an open box.Although, many people had always believed it is a laptop, even on the hip of the box with 2 small holes that they believe that it is a USB port.From that, they infer this is evidence of the journey through time and that “laptop” belongs to those who made this special trip.However, scientists looked at the problem the other way.They view it as a normal box with containing objects.Others considered it might be a mirror with threads, or a wax record.They

Nazca lines were very known in the late 1920’s, they were seen by commercial air travelers. These lines have gotten archaeologists and anthropologists confused and anyone who find them interesting. Many scientist have tried to figure out what some lines mean or if they have a reasoning or message behind them, some have been explained as inca roads. After WWII A german teacher named Maria Reiche was trying to figure out the meaning of the lines she spent half a century and concluded that the lines represented settings on an astronomical calendar but this theory was discredited. Later there was a deeper research done about them and their lives starting off of where they lived, why they disappeared and what was the meaning behind the strange lines

The Nacirema believes that “the human body is ugly and that its natural tendency is to debility and disease” (Miner 1) in which they attempt to “avert these characteristics through the use of the powerful influences of ritual and ceremony” (1). Specific examples of these “rituals and ceremonies” include works of the medicine men who provide “curative potions for their clients, but decide what the ingredients should be and then write them down in an ancient and secret language” 2). Also, the Nacirema are conscious of the mouth and how it influences their social relationships. They perform a “mouth-rite” daily which consists of “inserting a small bundle of hog hairs into the mouth, along with certain magical powders, and then moving the bundle in a highly formalized series of gestures” (2).

The Western definition of disease is the malfunctioning of biological and psychophysiological processes in the individual. This definition emphasizes the importance of individuals being in control of their own health and being disease free. In Nacirema there is a great focus on the human body and a considerable amount of time is spent on ritual activity to promote proper function. To combat our ailing bodies people turn to wellness and medicine which is a social institution. The way people view their bodies establishes the medical establishment to promote the society’s view of a healthy body. The way people view and treat obesity in America is usually judgemental blaming the individual for not controlling themselves and at a certain threshold

The culture is characterized by a highly developed market economy that has developed in a rich natural environment. While much of the time the" naciremos "is dedicated to economic activities, a large part of the fruits of such work and a considerable part of the day is intended for a ritual activity. The center of this activity is the human body, whose appearance and health prove to be a crucial concern of the beliefs of the people of that culture. Although body concern is not naturally something unusual, its ceremonial aspects and concepts associated with it, make it unique.

It is simply defined as the development of events outside a person’s control, regarded as predetermined by a supernatural power, but for Muslims in Bangladesh it is more than that. It is a basic belief that everything in the universe, every creature and the things it does, is the creation of God, and therefore God knows what is best for them.

In an early copy of The Scientific Monthly, Dr. Hrdlicka of the Smithsonian Institute, was quoted as saying that “before its discovery by Columbus, America was one of the most healthful of continents, if not the most so.” This health status could be attributed to the lifestyle of the indigenous people, their food varying according to the locality where they lived, was meat, fish, vegetables (often eaten raw), nuts, seeds and fruits. Few areas had all these possibilities but, since Indians ate every part of an animal and every edible plant in their locality, they came close an optimal diet. Traditional healers or medicine men as they became known to non-indigenous people were an integral part of the indigenous