Ethnocentrism is “the practice of judging another culture by the standards of one’s own culture” (Macionis). Cultural relativism is “the practice of judging s culture by its own standards” (Macionis). It is trying to understand the culture based on the customs within it. It is trying to understand a culture by accepting it and not using your own culture to judge theirs. It is difficult because the person must remain objective and not critique it. Ethnocentrism is used to find the similarities within the cultures to try and comfort oneself while trying to learn something new and different. Ethnocentrism causes issue within communities because we relate everything back to our culture of preference and do not accept the way others live. It causes
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Horace Miner used Ethnocentrism because he called the tribe barbaric and inhumane when describing the way they performed the rituals. In order to be able to understand a different culture and their ways there must be no judging and an open mind must be kept.
The Nacirema tribe has many practices, norms, and values that are alike to the ones in the community that surrounds us. For example, the people of the nacirema tribe live close together because they are over populated. In Joel E. Dimsdale’s article “The Nacirema revisited”, it is described as living crowded (Dimsdale). The American culture believes that living in houses built close together saves space because we are overpopulated. The individuals who do not have a home tend to sleep by the swamp and are likely to be victims of drowning (Dimsdale). This is a lot like the way homeless people are in our …show more content…
Dimsdale also explains the tribe’s ritual of watching the clouds in order to gain knowledge of the weather and eventually have control over the weather god. Our culture also observes weather in order to know what the weather will be like. Another practice that is similar between the two cultures is the way the priests build large temples for themselves (Dimsdale). In our society it would be called a church but it is said to be built for the preacher/priest/father to speak to others about the word of god. In the article “Body Ritual among the Nacirema” by the American Anthropological Association, it points out other similarities such as shrines kept in homes, medicine men, oral hygiene, infant care, and women’s breasts. The shrines kept in the homes of many homes are built in the wall and kept there for rituals performed (Miner). In Hispanic culture there is always a shelf kept specifically for shrines to the gods. Whether it is for the Virgin Mary or El Nino Jesus there is a lit candle kept on the shelf and used during prayer. Another similarity is the use of medicine men. These practioners are given gifts for their services. In my culture these men are called
Horace Miner used Ethnocentrism because he called the tribe barbaric and inhumane when describing the way they performed the rituals. In order to be able to understand a different culture and their ways there must be no judging and an open mind must be kept.
The Nacirema tribe has many practices, norms, and values that are alike to the ones in the community that surrounds us. For example, the people of the nacirema tribe live close together because they are over populated. In Joel E. Dimsdale’s article “The Nacirema revisited”, it is described as living crowded (Dimsdale). The American culture believes that living in houses built close together saves space because we are overpopulated. The individuals who do not have a home tend to sleep by the swamp and are likely to be victims of drowning (Dimsdale). This is a lot like the way homeless people are in our …show more content…
Dimsdale also explains the tribe’s ritual of watching the clouds in order to gain knowledge of the weather and eventually have control over the weather god. Our culture also observes weather in order to know what the weather will be like. Another practice that is similar between the two cultures is the way the priests build large temples for themselves (Dimsdale). In our society it would be called a church but it is said to be built for the preacher/priest/father to speak to others about the word of god. In the article “Body Ritual among the Nacirema” by the American Anthropological Association, it points out other similarities such as shrines kept in homes, medicine men, oral hygiene, infant care, and women’s breasts. The shrines kept in the homes of many homes are built in the wall and kept there for rituals performed (Miner). In Hispanic culture there is always a shelf kept specifically for shrines to the gods. Whether it is for the Virgin Mary or El Nino Jesus there is a lit candle kept on the shelf and used during prayer. Another similarity is the use of medicine men. These practioners are given gifts for their services. In my culture these men are called