Observation Of The Nacirema Culture

Among people and societies different cultures have always been present. Our human capacity for learning, using, and recognizing symbols allows for these cultures to develop and to change. Often times cultures’ beliefs and symbols don’t align with any person not born into that culture. However if that person observes this other culture through open and objective eyes, they can understand the reasons behind other cultural beliefs. Horace Miner’s observations of the Nacirema people in Body Ritual of the Nacirema reveal just how important perspective can be when observing other cultures. After Miner’s etic observations, the Nacirema’s culture seems bizarre, however upon further evaluation the culture becomes oddly familiar. The Nacirema’s core belief is that all aspects of the human body are weak and ugly and therefore they seek help of cultural symbols to fix their predicament. Miner’s observations are completely objective, so objective that anyone reading may not notice that Miner is describing Americans. He’s not observing a mysterious tribe in North America, he’s observing …show more content…
Because the shrines are home to the medicine acquired from the medicine men the shines represent the fact that that family has been to the medicine men. In anthropological terms this is the association (Kottak, p. 13). The more shrines a household has the more they will be accepted by their fellow people. The shrines are symbols of high prestige in the Nacirema culture. Another association is the more shrines a family has the more likely they are to participate in the body mutilation rituals and therefore the more accepted they will be. This symbol of wealth seems to be a particular trait of just the Nacirema culture, meaning none or few other cultures place as much importance on shines, or bathrooms, and what takes place