The Tnevnoc Cult Analysis

Decent Essays
In authors Bromley and Shupe article "The Tnevnoc Cult" readers are told about a culture of The Tnevnoc and to me, their very cruel and outrageous practices or rituals. When being first introduced to the culture we learn about the very basics of how they recruit their members and also who they target to become members. This already has already raised an eyebrow for me only because when thinking about any culture or religion, I more so think of them being open to all. As we continue reading, we learn about what is conducted to become a member of this culture and also some of their practices. No more than half way into this paper did I begin to question not only this culture but majority of the things they were doing. There were certain rituals

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    After re-reading I understood the aspects of the Nacirema culture including Medicine men (doctors, psychiatrists, and pharmacists), a latipso (hospital), a shrine (bathroom), and the mouth-rite ritual (brushing teeth). Things like going to the dentist, taking prescription drugs when we are sick, and going to the bathroom in private all seem like appropriate, "normal" behavior. Other things, such as a cultural obsession with women 's breast size, we might be more critical of and yet we still accept as "normal" behavior. But how quickly our opinions are changed when the above mentioned practices are described in a slightly different way than we are familiar with and we are to believe that the society that practices them are not our…

    • 820 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In Leslie Marmon Silko’s novel Ceremony Tayo suffers from PTSD after he serves in a American War. Tayo only decides to sign up for the army because his brother Rocky decides to join, Rocky is later killed in the war right in front of Tayo. Tayo later goes through many different ceremonies and finally comes up with his own in hopes to cure his culture and the world. Tayo rebels with white culture many times when he does these ceremonies after he gets out of the hospital, the white people think they are crazy and believe in witchcraft. The ceremonies conflict with white culture and Indian culture and create rebellion because it's more belief based.…

    • 907 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Naciremas Research Paper

    • 531 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In society today apperance and health concerns play a vast majority in our everyday lives. Furthermore, even relugious traditions have grown rapidly and has been altered in countless different forms. Wheter it was looks or religous beliefs the Naciremas presented a abounding amount of advanced human behavior in their own unique way. From medicine men, holy-mouth-men,their ritual life, and their concern for their health, their advanced actions were displayed numerous times throghout their daily lives.…

    • 531 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    During the 1960’s, Jim Jones started the People’s Temple, a racially integrated, socialist, Pentecostal worship-inspired church, which caused controversy after he led the mass religious suicide of over 900 people on November 17th, 1978 at Jonestown, Guyana. While some branded the People’s Temple as cult, David Chidester’s book Salvation and Suicide analyzes the People’s Temple from a religious perspective to understand the underpinnings of its values and ideologies. By doing so, he embraces the identities of those who were part of the People’s Temple, accepting them as part of the very fluid definition of what it means to be human. Chidester’s phenomenological approach successfully and cohesively analyzes the beliefs of the People’s Temple,…

    • 994 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Some of the methods of this gang include: beheading, castrating, and dismembering their enemies. When the general United States society views such practices, they do so with the view that these are extreme and un-acceptable. These atrocious negative-sanctions are deemed taboo and very…

    • 2179 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Cultural Culture In Anatevka

    • 2714 Words
    • 11 Pages

    In this paper, I will be analyzing the unique culture that lies within Anatevka. The purpose of this in-depth analysis is to observe the specific cultural elements that are present in their distinct society. In order to ensure organization and proper structure within this analytical essay, I am going to attempt to help create you a proper road map of where I will be heading, and where I should end up. To begin, I will be defining a proper conceptual framework by trying to interpret important terms and philosophical meanings that relate to culture itself, not Anatevka. I will try to explain what culture is and how it may be used properly throughout the framework of my essay.…

    • 2714 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Nacirema Culture

    • 748 Words
    • 3 Pages

    To begin, in our world, there are many different rituals that people follow or create to live their lives. Different cultures believe and act in certain ways compared to their neighboring culture. Some cultures believe that your first child has to be a boy, some wear neck rings to elongate their necks, and some will not eat certain foods. Just like how each individual is different and unique, this is the same for their culture and beliefs. The Nacirema people are just one of many groups who have created their own ways of living.…

    • 748 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Rituals Athletics are the biggest ritual on campus at Transylvania University. Participating in collegiate sports is a huge commitment and requires mental and physical strength. Life on a college campus is based around a weekly routine, or ritual, that the previous culture has passed down throughout the years. Those who are not a part of a culture and their ritual may not understand why one would endure the qualifications such ritual.…

    • 1891 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    The etic perspective will help interpret my own culture from an outsider’s point of view. An article that helps as a guide to understanding culture from different perspectives is the article Body Ritual Among the Nacirema by Miner (1956). In this article, he describes the culture and practices of the Nacirema, which is American spelled backwards. While reading this article some might notice that the practices sound familiar but may not be able to put a finger on why. Looking at culture from an etic perspective provides understanding and shows how caught up one can be with thinking that their culture is the norm.…

    • 1947 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    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.…

    • 824 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Cults use the psychological methods normative social influence, groupthink and foot-in-the-door to manipulate individuals and control their thoughts as seen in the cults Jonestown and The Branch Davidians. Cults are defined as an ideology of religious worship and adherence directed toward a particular figure or object. Cults are everywhere. Some are normal and widely accepted. Others are isolationist and hide from investigation.…

    • 952 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In The Disconnection between Power and Rank as a Process, Maurice Bloch talks about the economic and political development of South Asia and Polynesia, and he addresses the main issue of relationship between symbolic ‘rank’ and ‘power’ in the society. He examines how the production of rank through ritual and its importance in the evolution of political systems in Madagascar. Bloch’s ideas on disconnection relates to his argument that spiritual realm or sacred authority involving the particular view of the world’s religious systems, which works on concealing the elements and practical alternatives. In Civil Religion in America, Robert N. Bellah compares the differences between public and private religion and how civil religion is not the same as religion found in places of worship but are influenced by them (i.g. Christianity). Bellah talks about how the American civic consciousness was influenced by God and church, how religious ideas were shaped by what it meant to be Americans and the ritual component of politics which also showcases…

    • 796 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Richard Sosis is an anthropology research professor with interests in human behavioral ecology. In his article, The Adaptive Value of Religious Ritual, Sosis questions the logic and purpose of the religious acts and rituals from around the world. Sosis looks deeper into the fundamental reasons for the rituals and how it affects the selected community as a whole and its benefits of overall survival. Sosis argues that the group cooperation that is found in these religious ceremonies creates trust and commitment within these groups, and this "membership" reveals who is worthy of this trust and commitment.…

    • 707 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    This culture has norms and codes that they believe in, such as steeling from everyone. It is how these members were…

    • 2774 Words
    • 12 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In relation to sociology, every society form rituals and ceremonies based on the beliefs. This is clearly portrayed in the writing as the Nacirema society focuses on the human body, appearance, and health, which resulted to the body rituals they perform every day. For instance, they see the ‘holy-mouth-men’ and perform rituals such as using a small bundle of hog hairs and scraping the face. Although this may seem normal to Americans, it isn’t for some culture. Being born outside of America, I could stand attest of this statement.…

    • 716 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays