Why is nacirema American backwards?
Why is nacirema American backwards?
Miner’s account of the Nacirema—American spelled backwards—was instead a pointed criticism of anthropologists’ tendency to hype up the perceived weirdness of other cultures. His aim, as i09 puts it, was to show that “everything that’s normal to us seems weird to someone else.”
What is the meaning of sadic?
extremely cruel
What does the story about the nacirema teach us?
This story is trying to get us to look at our own culture from the outside sine we are always thinking we are normal but other cultures are very strange. When in reality, we are just as strange as other cultures are to us.
Who is the holy mouth man?
In the Nacireman culture, there are also people known as “holy-mouth men,” who the people must visit twice a year. A holy-mouth man’s job is to enlarge any holes that decay might have caused in the mouth.
What kinds of words are used to describe the nacirema?
The five words I used to describe Nacirema are: discontent, obsessive, naive, painful, and supernatural.
What is nacirema spelled backwards?
Nacirema (“American” spelled backwards) is a term used in anthropology and sociology in relation to aspects of the behavior and society of citizens of the United States of America.
How do the nacirema view their bodies?
How do the Nacirema generally view their bodies? They view their bodies as very ugly, and that its natural tendency is to debility and disease.
Who are the nacirema and where do they live?
The Nacirema are a group of people who live in the territory north of the Tarahuamare people of Mexico. No one knows much about their origin, but traditional legends say they came from the east. Their customs have been studied for many years, yet their culture is still poorly understood.
Who coined the term thick description?
The term thick descriptions was first used by Ryle (1949) and later by Geertz (1973) who applied it in ethnography. Thick descripton refers to the detailed account of field experiences in which the researcher makes explicit the patterns of cultural and social relationships and puts them in context (Holloway, 1997).
How well does miner seem to know the nacirema?
1. How well does Miner seem to know the Nacirema? Miner seems to know well about Narcirema as he addresses the readers as an expert who knows Narcirema’s customs and values. He talks in the book on how the people behave and some of their exotic rituals and rites and seems to be very familiar with their tribe.
What are masochistic tendencies nacirema?
much of the nacirema population shows masochistic tendencies where: a portion of the daily ritual performed by men involves scraping and lacerating the face. anthropology. scientific and humanistic study of human beings.
What does it mean to understand that your beliefs and practices are contingent?
What does it mean to understand that your beliefs and practices are contingent? They don’t need to exist or they could be very different, They are dependent on the historical and cultural conditions that led to them.
How does looking at sociology as making the familiar strange?
How does looking at sociology as “making the familiar strange” help counter this claim? Sociologists may appear to study conditions that are obvious, but by making the familiar strange, they are able to move beyond commonsense reasoning and use evidence to really understand a topic.
Are the nacirema civilized?
Nacirema culture is a very civilized culture. The way they do, their things portray a very civilized society whose patients go to the hospitals to be treated by the special health professionals such as doctors, dentists, psychologists, and nurses. They also use clean treated water and detergents in daily cleanness.
What are sadistic specialists?
sadistic. deriving pleasure from inflicting pain on another. The theoretically interesting point is that what seems to be a preponderantly masochistic people have developed sadistic specialists. phenomenal. exceedingly or unbelievably great.
Who said making the strange familiar and the familiar strange?
T. S. Eliot
What is a shrine?
A shrine (Latin: scrinium “case or chest for books or papers”; Old French: escrin “box or case”) is a holy or sacred site dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon, or similar figure of respect, wherein they are venerated or worshipped.
How would you describe the nacirema culture?
Nacirema culture is 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, a considerable portion of their day is spent in ritual activity.
What do the nacirema say about mouth rituals?
Though small children must be forced to undergo this punishment when they neglect the mouth ritual, adults willingly accept it. Were it not for the rituals of the mouth, they believe that their teeth would fall out, their gums bleed, their jaws shrink, their friends desert them, and their lovers reject them.
What does making the familiar strange mean?
what is “making the familiar strange?” it means look at the world in an unknown and unbiased way. in this article, he is talking about us americans.
What is the sacred vessel into which excretory acts are performed while in the Latipso?
Bathing and excretory acts are performed only in the secrecy of the household shrine, where they are ritualized as part of the body-rites. Psychological shock results from the fact that body secrecy is suddenly lost upon entry into the latipso.
What is taboo to the nacirema?
Body exposure – the Naciremas avoid exposure of their bodies, even to other members of their household. Intercourse – this is a very taboo subject in the Nacirema culture. It is a scheduled event, and, sometimes, magical materials are even used to prevent pregnancy.
What is the basic focus of nacirema society?
The basic focus of the Nacirema is to focus in the appearance and health of the human body. The basic belief is that human body is ugly and sick as time go, but you can avoid that doing their rituals and using magic potions.
What are the nacirema obsessed with?
As Miner explains in the article, the Nacirema are obsessed with the body, which they believe is intrinsically ugly and prone to debility and disease.
What is the focus of the nacirema rituals?
The focus of their ritual activity is the human body. The appearance and health of the body is a main concern of the Nacirema people. While most cultures are concerned about health, the ceremony involved in Nacireman daily life is unique.
How does cultural anthropology seek to make the strange familiar and the familiar strange?
It has been said that the task of the anthropologist is to “make the strange familiar, and the familiar strange.” We do so by studying people and their cultures, around the world and throughout time, comparing and contrasting them, and seeking to answer the question of what it means to be human.
What is the main idea of Body Ritual among the Nacirema?
The fundamental belief of the Nacirema is that the body is ugly and prone to weakness. Therefore, man uses ritual and ceremony to avert his vulnerability. Homes have shrines made of stone for these customs, and those with more money may even have many shrines.
What made it hard to identify who the nacirema are?
The word Nacirema is the word american spelled backwards. It is a term used in sociology to describe the behaviors and cultures of american people. What made it hard to identify who they are? Their cultural believes were complicated and poorly understood by many.
What is the strangest thing about the nacirema culture?
Therefore, I believe that the strangest thing about the Nacirema culture is their fascination with mouth rituals. the Nacirema culture because the Nacirema culture does rituals everyday and go in front of their shrines as a daily ritual. Nacirema spelled backwards is American.
What are the most important values of the nacirema?
The most important values of the Nacirema are teeth, breast, and appearance. Members of the society exemplify their wealth and power by how many shrines they have.