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
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