Nacirema, Who are they?

PART A 

- Economical - 

    The Nacirema have learned to develop a highly advanced economical trade and buy system that can equate to economies today, specifically capitalism. In an article by Horace Miner, he describes their economy as, "characterized by a highly developed market economy which has evolved in a rich natural habitat, while much of the people's time is devoted to economic pursuits". Their economy allows for them to sustain and keep their healthy natural habitat, while being able to freely pursue economic pursuits of becoming "upper class". This suggests they have a free economy that allows for any one of any class to rise from the ground up. 

- Medically Advanced - 

    Miner goes into deep detail about their medical practices, as some of it may sound gruesome, overall it does help the patients in their overall health. As explained by Miner, their medically educated have what is called, "...an imposing temple, or latipso, in every community of any size," in which, " a fair proportion of the really sick natives who enter the temple ever recover". Seemingly, every community has a "latipso" in which they those who are sick will enter and a good majority will leave recovered. This suggests that they are medically advanced to take care of their sick and injured, while also successfully curing them of any issues they may have for the most part. Though their practices may seem "gruesome" they are highly effective in healing those in need. 

- Religious - 

    Like most communities of people, Nacirema peoples are also religious. Their practices are done Bi-yearly, in which they meet a "Holy Mouth Man" everyone from all different communities seem to come together for this "Holy Mouth Man" while also "praying" to him every day at least once or twice a day. This is considered the, "rite [that] involves a practice 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,"(Miner). Though why this ritual is made seems uncertain to outsiders, it is their religion that should be respected just as much as any other religion. To question their religion isn't welcome, but to understand that they have this helps us understand that they are advanced and spiritual enough to commune together for religious reasons.  

- Caring - 

    The Nacirema have a practitioner in whom they go to when they are troubled, and it shows that they care for each other enough to be able to empathize with other's troubles. These are practitioners, "known as a "listener." This witch-doctor has the power to exorcise the devils that lodge in the heads of people who have been bewitched," in which the "listener" has their patient vent, "all his troubles and fears, beginning with the earliest difficulties he can remember," (Miner). The "listener" walks through the patient through their issues and attempts to cure them of these difficulties in their livelihood. It requires a high emotional intelligence and capacity in order to do this, so the practice of having someone like this in their community demonstrates an extent of sympathy and care for others in their community. 

- Objective - 

    Despite their efforts and seemingly caring practices for others in their community, as noted by Miner, the multiple Nacirema will have harsh views of their physical appearance for community acceptance. Specifically, "general dissatisfaction with breast shape is symbolized in the fact that the ideal form," making the breasts of a woman important overall rather than their other attributes, and "a few women afflicted with almost inhuman hypermammary development are so idolized that they make a handsome living by simply going from village to village and permitting the natives to stare at them for a fee". While others with larger "attributes" will make a profit off of their own bodies. To glamourize and idolize things such as this can be seen as objective. 

PART B

The Nacirema, also known as North Americans. The subject of the Nacirema was to test how we would view ourselves through the lens of an Anthropologist.

Some Questions to be Answered: 

As an American, how do you feel about your choice of descriptive words in Part A? 

Do they accurately describe the actual behavior in question? 

I personally, have no gripe with the descriptive words I have chosen, because they are accurate to American life as it is now. Despite certain things describe may have been exaggerated, like the Dentist, but for the most part I personally feel okay with it all. 

 

Do any of your choices exhibit ethnocentrism on your part?  In other words, do any of your descriptive words reveal a judgment of the Nacirema rooted in your own cultural bias?  Are any of your words free of bias? 

I went into this "study" of the Nacirema as unbiased as I can possibly be. I looked into "their" culture in a respectful and understanding tone, while also knowing when to criticize any flaws it may have without much bias. I do not really see much ethnocentrism on my part, unless I have somehow subconsciously knew that it meant "American" and wrote positively about them to make myself look good, however from as far as I can tell I was not bias. 

For any of the words that are biased, can you provide alternate words that are free of bias but communicate the same explanatory information and intent of your original word?   

The one word that I guess can be see as bias is, objective, an alternate word would be philocalistic, meaning "lover of beauty". It would describe how the Nacirema would see the beauty in their physical forms and try to achieve to gain this beauty by any means possible and those who possess it will flaunt it off for monetary gain.  

 Why is it important to describe another culture in a manner as free from personal cultural bias as possible?  

The importance of being unbiased as much as possible is to give these other cultures a chance at being respected and accepted by others who may not understand them. It isn't completely possible to avoid cultural bias due to our own morals, however it is very possible to minimize it as much as possible, and maybe even eliminate it in the case if you were to have someone else analyze your studies. The process of description is too one sided, and assuming a cultures identity simply through observation will call for miscommunication and assumptions on their part. Understanding a culture isn't a bad thing, but to try to understand it ourselves is the error. To understand it, we must first learn how to communicate with those we are watching.