the Nacirema A well-known anthropologist Horace Miner has conducted a research on the community called the Nacirema‚ which was originated in North America. The main focus of the research was made on the body rituals of the Nacirema‚ which then becomes the title of his work. According to Horace (1956) fundamental belief of the Nacirema is that a human body is weak and imperfect‚ irresistant to many diseases. He believes that in order to maintain a true potential of a body‚ the Nacirema performs
Premium Anthropology Culture Ritual
The author’s purpose in writing this article was not to show the “Nacirema” as an example of how extreme human behavior can become‚ but how an outside perspective can affect your perception of an alien culture. If one were to look at the “Nacirema’s” cultural behaviors regarding physical appearance and health without any insight or knowledge of the specific beliefs or values of that culture‚ they might seem bizarre and even incomprehensible. By showing behaviors and “rituals” performed by this unknown
Premium Culture Anthropology Cultural anthropology
The Nacirema people‚ living in the territory between the Canadian Creed‚ the Yaqui and Tarahumare of Mexico‚ and the Carib and Arawak of the Antilles‚ are a group of Northern Americans who have chosen to live their lives in a strange manner. There is a main premise to their choice of lifestyle and that is to rid the body of its ugliness and natural tendencies towards debility and disease. (p. 503). The Nacirema people have devoted their lives to deterring these features of themselves through ritual
Premium Anthropology Ritual Sociology
Who 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 “the body is ugly and that its natural tendency is to debility and disease” explained
Premium Anthropology Sociology Culture
"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 culture was "normal" and‚ that the other studied cultures
Premium Anthropology Culture Cultural anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity‚ nature and society in all places and throughout time. When anthropologists study far off exotic cultures‚ different people may hold different attitudes. One may criticize on a backward culture‚ and others may judge on it fairly. Like the authors of “Body Ritual Among the Nacirema” and “Voodoo in Haiti”‚ they hold quite different attitudes and views to these exotic cultures. Broadly speaking‚ Horace Miner‚ the author of “Body Ritual Among the Nacirema”‚ criticizes
Free Sociology Anthropology Culture
What is Anthropology and Why is Evolution a part of this class? ! Anthropology‚ in a whole‚ is the study of humans. It is the study of mankind itself and where we have evolved from as a species. Anthropology teaches how Evolution has always been apart of us as humans or as a species. Evolution needs to be taught in the classroom because evolution shows how and who we have evolved from over time. Without evolution and without genetic mutation‚ we may still have a tail where our tail bone is. We
Premium Anthropology Sociology Natural selection
AND ANTHROPOLOGY ZPY 114-HR7A Handout No. 2 Anthrophology- coined from two Greek words anthropos which means “man” or “human being” and logos which means “knowledge”. Four Main Fields of Anthropology 1. Physical or biological anthropology-studies human beings through genetics‚ inherited traits‚ evolution and adaptation. It is called physical anthropology because the data it uses are mainly physical to gather information on the evolutionary development of man. 2. Cultural Anthropology-it examines
Premium Human Anthropology Sociology
Anthropology Jan15th‚ 2008 Cultural Anthropology -Margaret Mead went to eastern Samoa in 1925 when she was 23‚ and spent nine months in the field studying childrearing patterns and adolescent behaviour -Renato Rosaldo the Ilongot Head-hunters -Clifford Geertz: the Balinese cockfight -Douglass Drozdow-St. Christian: what Samoans consider “good and proper body” and the meanings of making babies into “good and proper bodies” Anthropology 025 Introduction to Socio-cultural Anthropology
Premium Anthropology Culture
Body Rituals of the Nacirema Tribe By Sir Horatio Galbraith People in the Nacirema culture spend a considerable portion of their days in ritual activity. The focus of some of these activities is the human body‚ the appearance and health of which loom as a dominant concern in the minds of the tribe’s people. While such a concern is certainly not unusual‚ the way the tribe operates can be considered quite unique. The fundamental belief of the people appears to be that the human body is ugly and
Premium Ritual Human body Shamanism