Nacirema Essay

Summary: The Writer’s Purpose In the essay “Body Ritual among the Nacirema” written by Horace Miner, the writer has intentionally presented the 1950’s American culture in a more primitive fashion. With certain objectives, he has cleverly made the Nacirema culture seem like that of an ancient tribe and has compelled the readers to believe that such culture existed in certain time frame of the era. Many of us are ethnocentric in nature and we often judge a foreign culture in a standard of the culture

and norms. An example would a clan known as Nacirema whose culture would be described by outsiders as extreme and sadistic. Their culture consists of unique ritual, strong believe in magical essences, but how different does it vary from the American Culture? A large portion of the Nacirema daily activities are dedicated to religious rituals, but more specifically with the focus on body rituals. They place great importance in their

understood Nacirema tribe living in North America through his paper titled “Body Ritual Among the Nacirema.” Initially shocking to many, it helped to provide an objective view of the Nacirema tribe and the unusual rituals and practices which they engaged in at the time. But, it has now been sixty-one years since the publication of that paper which has made it necessary to reexamine the practices and rituals of the Nacirema tribe. Consequently, I recently spent some time researching the Nacirema culture

Truth Exposed in Body Rituals among the Nacirema “Body Rituals among the Nacirema” is a document written by Mr. Horace Miner. Miner was a graduate of the University of Chicago, with a degree in anthropology. Throughout his life, Miner was dedicated to his studies ranging in anthropology to sociology. He was very interested in the study of anthropology, but Miner disagreed with the way that other cultures were represented. He thought American anthropologists believed that the American

that might give them short term happiness or satisfaction but their results can be horrifying. Are people playing with their bodies? Well, I guess they are. They tend to ruin their natural self. Horace Miner, the writer of “Body Rituals Among the Nacirema,” was absolutely right when he mentioned in his article that today’s main focus is the human body, and that people have taken in their appearances and health so much that they have become a major component of America’s culture today. In fact,

Horace Miner's essay was written to open the eyes of society. Miner wrote "Body Ritual Among the Nacirema" in a way that most of the readers would think it was an actual tribe he was writing about. He describes many acts that the tribe performs in a very mysterious way to make the reader feel intrigued. Horace Miner writes, "I was able... to establish sufficient rapport with the natives to examine these shrines and to have the rituals described to me" (503-504). The statement makes the reader feel

among the Nacirema tribe by answering the following questions. First was I surprised when the true identity of the Nacirema tribe was revealed? Then how does Body Ritual among the Nacirema help us understand our own view of other cultures and how we are viewed by other cultures? Next why do some of the practices and rituals of other cultures seem odd or foreign to us? Finally, how do our own cultural norms affect our understanding and perception of other cultures? The Identity of the Nacirema Tribe

based upon Horace Miner’s article “Body Ritual Among the Nacirema,” published in Wiley-Blackwell’s, in conjunction with the American Anthropological Association, journal American Anthropologist. The essay will consist of two sections: an article summary and a reaction discussion. Article Summary Horace Miner wrote the article “Body Ritual among the Nacirema”, in which he described and detailed the various body rituals practiced among the Nacirema culture. Horace starts the article by explaining that

Anthropology refers to the study of mankind as a whole. In the article “Body Ritual among the Nacirema” by Horace Miner, the introduction of a new cultural perspective crosses the boundaries of today’s societal norms. Horace Miner is mainly known for his studies in mankind, and as an anthropologist he must take into consideration, without preconceived opinions the variety of unique cultures within the human race. The Nacirema is a group living in North America whose culture, through the perspective of Horace

“The Mystery Fall of Nacirema” when it states, “Exploratory digs have shown that the quality of life in the different areas varied from very luxurious to poverty stricken. The various areas were generically referred to as ottehgs ” we can identify the digs as a way to symbolize operation of the streeters as the environmental dividers, allowing people to realize the place was built by the values and wisdoms of our surroundings. Also, in the article “Body ritual among the Nacirema”, it is stated that