Body Ritual Among The Nacirema Essay Example

person is bound to view his or her culture as most important as compared to other’ culture. In this regard therefore, each and every other culture in the world can be deemed to be utmost important. Culture is made by beliefs, and mostly, these beliefs or unique activities inherent in a certain society or culture are inherited and passed from one generation to another. However, in some cases, some cultural elements are learned or created in a society. In the article, by Horace Miner, Body Ritual Among the Nacirema, the author presents the unique culture of the Nacirema society.

The elements explained can virtually be found in any other culture, and therefore, Nacirema can be interpreted to mean the kind of world culture present today. In Nacirema culture, there is tendency to believe in medications, and that is why each household has a place where these medicinal materials are kept. Each person in the family is taught about the medicinal materials. The Nacirema people are also explained to uphold religion to high esteem. The article explains that people in this culture consult religious people to give them ‘ holy’ materials.

Uniquely, the people of Nacirema have a personality structure, but mostly, it is explained in their masochistic tendencies. They respect the body a lot, to an extent that they go to all lengths to make sure that they get the highest value of medications. Another protruding issue in this article is ethnos-centralism. By definition, ethnos-centralism is a situation where one ethnic group views itself to be superior as compared to another ethnic group. In essence, and as explained in cultural relativism, each and

every other culture in the world is unique in its own way.

Ethnos-centralism brings a concept of superiority and tendency for the cultural group and its people to consolidate their beliefs and activities. Ethnos-centralism has manifested itself in the explanations given by Horace Miner in the article. Horace Miner writes that the Nacirema people can be described as magic-ridden people. They have very many burdens they have imposed unto themselves; for example, the excretory rituals. These are rituals that puts one ethnic group very distinct as compared to others, and by and large, it makes them consolidate their beliefs and activities. In the eyes of modern culture, the Nacirema culture presents a razy scenario. ’However, the Nacirema people as explained in the article are not ready to abandon or put down the ‘perceived burdens. ’They are ready to continue with them. In themselves, they value what they do as superior and something which cannot be interfered with by other cultures. Most evident in this article and the explanations given by the author is social solidarity.

The Nacirema people as explained in the article are unique people, who practice and carry out their activities with total disregard of what other cultures view them. For example, the excretory rituals are bound to be viewed by others as crazy, ut to them, these are cultures, which make them strong. They are magic-ridden people. The irrelevance of the magic in this community puts them apart from ‘civilization’ but to them, they have to remain in solidarity. This social solidarity is important only to the Nacirema people, and this is because it is bound to be viewed by

others as representing backwardness. Lastly, the article by Horace Miner puts to the fore the issue of culture conflict. By explanation, culture conflict is occurs when there are conflicting issues among a culture or cultures. Mostly, culture conflict results from assimilation of cultures and patterns of beliefs.

In Nacirema community, the older generation is keen to introduce the values they upheld to the new generation. A classical example is the teaching of importance of the medicinal box and the holy elements from the church. The new generation is likely to refuse to incorporate excretory rituals in their futures, and this itself presents an evidence of cultural conflict. The patterns of beliefs in this culture are likely to result to conflict. The Nacirema people are unlikely to remain magically oriented, especially if the young ones refuse to indulge themselves in the practices.