that depicts a society whose focus is solely on the enhancement of the human body. In the text, the characters are the their Nacirema people, who live in northern America. The Nacerima people center around this idea that the human body is ugly and that it is prone to sickness and aging. Horace Miner describes several rituals the Nacirema people partake in to better their physical health and appearance. Some of these rituals take place in a shrine, the rituals consist of brushing teeth and excreting. Other rituals are services the Nacirema people go to a specialist to get done. Horace Miner describes these services as…
In “Body Ritual among the Nacirema” Miner writes about the rituals within a tribe. The tribe he talks about is America. Nacirema spelt backwards is America and it is located between Canada and Mexico. This article discusses about Americans and their everyday activities relating to their body and health. Although Miner’s analyses of Americans are absurd it is quite true. He disguises the bathroom as “cleaning shine”, medicine as “magical potion” and a psychiatrist as a “listener.” Cultural norms are certain behaviors that a society accepts as an entire. As it is accepted within the society it becomes a norm. There are different norms according to each culture. I found this article most interesting because Americans have many cultural beliefs…
There are trillions and trillions of bacteria in the human body. According to human microbiota, “It is estimated that 500 to 1,000 species of bacteria live in the human gut. Bacterial cells are much smaller than human cells, and it is often said that there are at least ten times as many bacteria as human cells in the body.” Since there are so many different kinds of bacteria in one’s body it’s important that one should take care of themselves. According to oral ecology, “those that do not have a clean mouth between 100 million to 1 billion bacteria on each tooth.” Everyday bacteria grows in a persons’ mouth. Though some bacteria actually protect our teeth and gums, there are many diseases that can be related back to oral bacteria. One harmful bacteria is called the “streptococcus mutans” which causes tooth decay and gum…
Cultures, Belief and Behaviors. In review of the article by Horace Miners “Body Ritual among the Nacirema” I would evaluate this culture’s belief and behaviors provides a direct evident that the attitudes or characteristics of human body has an extensive influence on variety of institutions in Nasiriya society. Throughout the reading, he provides the reader an understanding perspective of the American rituals from a different point of view. The key word that is emphasized is the word ritual and how it is impacted so much in our lives.…
Rochel just completed her five-paragraph essay and exhaustedly heads upstairs suppressing a yawn. After tiredly getting on her pajamas, she mechanically lifts her toothbrush, smears on a generous amount of toothpaste and proceeds to brush her teeth. Her mind is wandering to how she will pass her test tomorrow, what she should wear on Rosh Chodesh and if she should go with a salad or a wrap for lunch the next day. She then monotonously cleans her toothbrush, rinses her mouth and turns of the faucet unbeknownst to the fact that that extra minute she took out of her nightly schedule saved her much time and aggravation. Tooth brushing seem to be an insignificant act we unconsciously do every day. However, brushing the teeth is important because it helps maintain oral health, it reduces bad breath and gives the brusher a cleaner and whiter smile.…
The annual visit to the the “Holy-mouth-man” can be paired with the annual visit a person makes with his or her dentist. The constant need to cover oneself in clothing parallels with the small signs usually seen outside public areas that require a person to wear shoes and a shirt before entering the building. American society has laws to enforce the rule and gives people the right to refuse service to an individual who does not comply. The Nacirema culture would be a small look into the future to modern American culture. There would not be a major difference in choosing to live in either culture. However the biggest difference would be the Namerica culture had a common ancestry while American culture has a mix of different ethnicities from the influx of immigrants and slaves throughout American…
Importance of oral hygiene: The mouth is the doorway to the body and a poor oral hygiene cause more adverse effect on your overall health than you may think.…
The Palette of Narmar is said to go back as far as the 31st century. It was discovered by James Quibell and Frederick Green. Both are British archaeologists. The Palette of Narmar is also referred to as The Great Hierakonpolis Palette. The Palette of Narmar is a unique piece of art that represents the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the ruling of King Narmar at that time. The art work is located at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Each side of the artwork symbolizes different things and tasks that was accomplished by King Narmar.…
One of the fundamental beliefs of the Nacirema is that “the human body is ugly and that its natural tendency is to debility and disease.” According to the Christian tradition, the human body is fallen and is therefore prone to disease and weakness; so in that respect, I do not completely disagree with the Nacirema. However, they seem to take the ugliness of the body to a whole new extreme. Their fascination with the mouth is extremely interesting. In today’s society we don’t necessarily see the mouth as an evil device, but more as a tool for communication and sexuality. The relationship between oral and moral characteristics is an interesting way to see the world. I had a lot of cavities before the age of 16, and I can honestly say that I wasn’t an overly evil child; it’s just a byproduct of not brushing and too much sugar. The Nacirema seem to read a lot into things that are just repercussions of a life lived.…
B. Reason to Listen: Good dental hygiene is important for people of all ages. A clean mouth will help prevent harmful diseases from entering your body.…
The first clinical day, my resident was in bed eating breakfast, with food particles observed on face and food in dentures, but otherwise well groomed. Her hair was combed, and she was neatly dressed. After the meal, while assisting resident in washing the food particles from her face I noticed she also had bad breath. Staff reports resident would sometimes not allow them to assist her in oral care after breakfast. Resident has full dentures in good condition. My teaching plan would include the importance of good oral hygiene especially after meals. It promotes a sense of well being while preventing deterioration of the oral cavity. (Taylor, Lillis, Lemone, &…
It was a winter day and my mother and I got up at 5:00 a.m. to arrive early at the Dental office. When I arrived to the office a wave of emotions and the unpleasant smell of medicine leaped over me, and there were already people formed and waited for the doctor. The waiting room was white and on each wall there were plastered dramatic photos of a healthy and dirty mouth, of healthy teeth and teeth with decays, or ´Before/After´ photos. While my mother sat in an empty chair, I felt the increment in my blood pressure as I waited to hear from the receptionist each patient’s name. Clusters of magazines were lying on the brown shiny table, each one screaming out images of the human mouth. I looked at every corner of the room.…
Agasthya along with his wife ‘Lobamudrai’ flies to Madurai from the ‘Pothigai’ Mountain on his Vimana and teaches Tamil grammar to the Pandyan Kingdom’s Royal Court-Poet ‘Narkeerar’ on the Lord’s Advice…
Since most of the people in India used traditional methods like Neem twigs, ash, charcoal, black salt etc. hence Oral Care industry is not fully penetrated. Over 50% of the Indians did not consider oral care to be a major concern. Therefore it is beneficial to increase the awareness and make people aware of the health hazards of the improper oral care.…
Cleanliness of body is necessary for physical health. Dirt and disease go together. Disease germs breed and thrive in dirt; and the epidemic diseases which sweep over a country and carry off thousands, are generally the results of the dirty habits and surroundings of the people. This is why cholera, for instance, is such a scourge in beautiful Kashmir; for the river Jhelum is made an open sewer by the people of the hundreds of villages along its banks. No one can keep healthy who is afraid of soap and water. Not only the regular washing of hands and face, but the frequent and thorough bathing of the whole body, and the wearing of clean clothes, are conditions of good health.…