Nacirema - 1309 Words

Horace Miner writes about the Nacirema, a culture steeped in magic and superstition. Their ways of life are portrayed as uncivilized and barbaric. The Nacirema perform rituals and rites that are strange to us here in the civilized world. The description and portrayal of this tribe make it very hard for the reader to connect or even begin to understand such a strange people. Miner starts of the article creating an atmosphere of wonderment; â€Å"if all of the logically possible combinations of behavior have not been found somewhere in the world, he(anthropologist) is apt to suspect that they must be present in some yet undescribed tribe†(Miner:1956:503). And that tribe is the Nacirema, a foreign and strange people to whom we in the western†¦show more content†¦The ‘listener’ or psychologist is another example that Miner uses. The Nacirema, troubled by their childhoods and demons of their minds go to the listener to let out all of their troubles. This is sy nonymous with trips to the psychologist to talk about one’s problems. The incredulity one feels when Miner writes, â€Å"It is not uncommon for the patient to bemoan the rejection he felt upon being weaned as a babe and a few individuals even see their troubles going back to theShow MoreRelatedNacirema994 Words   |  4 PagesWho are the Nacirema and how shall they be defined? The dictionary defines an Anthropologist as a person that studies human beings and their ancestors through time and space and in relation to physical character, environmental and social relations, and culture (Webster 2011). I am not claiming to be an Anthropologist however, from my viewpoint, I am not sure if I am capable of grasping my mind around the concept that â€Å"the body is ugly and that its natural tendency is to debility and disease† explainedRead MoreNacirema Essay794 Words   |  4 PagesDillon O’Brien Merrill Singer Anthro 1000 15 April 2012 Nacirema Paper It has been rumored that are extraordinary beings on another familiar planet close by our home of Nacirema, and it is our goal as the Interplanetary Nacirema Research Center team to investigate the situation. We plan to focus our trip on the specific coordinates that the University of Connecticut campus lies on, and being the curious creatures we are, we plan to delve into specific areas within this concentrated area. WeRead MoreRituals of the Nacirema1106 Words   |  5 PagesThe rituals of the Nacirema To most of us, hospitals are a place to help you when you’re in need or want to get healthy. But for the Nacirema, it’s quite the opposite. According to the Nacirema ritual article, they call hospitals a latipso, which is hospital spelt backwards without the ‘H’. They discuss and caricature the repulsive viewings on what they think goes on in hospitals (latipso’s), or what they think they do. I will now tell you how in Miner’s perspective, the body is ugly and howRead MoreThe Body Ritual Among the Nacirema737 Words   |  3 PagesHRM582 The Body Ritual Among the Nacirema The Body Ritual Among the Nacirema As an individual coming to investigate American civilization through the observation of cultural activities, I find the ritual of medicine men and women (doctors, psychiatrists and pharmacists) very interesting. â€Å"Medicine man or medicine woman are  English  terms used to describe  traditional healers  and spiritual leaders among  Native American  andRead More The Nacirema: Another Look Essay843 Words   |  4 PagesThe Nacirema: Another Look Written by Horace Miner, this essay of the people group Nacirema is an interesting look at their everyday functions. The tribe Miner describes is seemingly primal and uncivilized, and yet somewhat familiar. The entire account of these mysterious people describes unusual and strange behaviors and activities. The brief overview on the Nacirema is graphic from Miner’s point of view. When the meaning of the story becomes clear, the purpose for writing it becomesRead MoreNacirema - Body Ritual in Anthropology757 Words   |  4 PagesUniversity of Michigan, Horace Miner, wrote an article in The American Anthropologist that has become a mainstay of learning for anthropology students. Miner published the article to show a fictional exotic society called â€Å"Body Ritual among the Nacirema† as an example of how one’s own limited perspective might affect the perception of a foreign culture (Miner, 1956, p. 503). The article uses subtle humor to make the reader more comfortable in examining cultural behaviors, physical appearance, andRead MoreOf Horace MinersBody Ritual Among The Nacirema?721 Words   |  3 Pagesdeveloped state that other countries tend to look at in order to know how to grow and advance. However, when looked at from the outside, things that are done everyday, â€Å"rituals†, can seem strange. Horace Miner wrote the essay â€Å"Body Ritual Among the Nacirema† in order to highlight actions people do everyday in a way that opens the eyes of the reader. Although the rituals seem strange out of place, Miner had a specific purpose to give a new perspective and to leave a lasting effect of thought and changeRead MoreBody Ritual Among the Nacirema1031 Words   |  5 PagesBody Ritual among the Nacirema Name Course Sociology Date 6/12/2013 Body Ritual among the Nacirema Horace Miner in the article, Body Ritual Among the Nacirema depicts a society that is growing naturally, but which has transformed itself into a ritual tribe. In this article, the tribe, Nacirema, is a tribe that has transformed itself naturally and which has incorporated a lot of beliefs and religious tendency forRead MoreBody Ritual Among the Nacirema948 Words   |  4 PagesJanuary 26, 2013 Horace Minor applied satire in his article â€Å"Body Ritual among the Nacirema.† to the culture of the American people. Several ways in which â€Å"Body Ritual among the Nacirema† relate to the core concepts of sociology are through the use of sociological imagination, ethnocentrism and cultural relativism. The American culture is described by Minor in a very unique and humorous way. The author uses satire to examine the rituals that are every day in American culture. The reader thinksRead MoreBody Rituals Among the Nacirema1097 Words   |  5 PagesBody Rituals Among the Nacirema Abstract This study examines Horace Miner’s essay â€Å"Body Rituals Among the Nacirema. While using the participant observation approach, he gives us a new perspective on the daily behaviors within this group of people. Exploring ethnocentrism and how we view cultures outside of our own. Horace Miner was a professor for the University of Michigan. He sought out to teach young people the importance of cultural anthropology. (Horace Mitchell Miner - Wikipedia, the