Many of the practices Miner mentions in the article aren’t really strange to the Nacirema culture. But an outsider views the practices as odd. For example‚ Miner mentions about a shrine box‚ which translate to a medicine cabinet being strange to the outsider. The charms and magical potions in the shrine box being the medicine needed cure the ills and maladies of an individual. Medicine had a purpose of curing those maladies for many with similar ills. But the outsider views pulling out these magical
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January 26‚ 2013 Horace Minor applied satire in his article “Body Ritual among the Nacirema.” to the culture of the American people. Several ways in which “Body Ritual among the Nacirema” relate to the core concepts of sociology are through the use of sociological imagination‚ ethnocentrism and cultural relativism. The American culture is described by Minor in a very unique and humorous way. The author uses satire to examine the rituals that are every day in American culture. The reader thinks
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Webster’s dictionary defines ethnocentrism as "The tendency to evaluate other groups according to the values and standards of one’s own ethnic group‚ especially with the conviction that one’s own ethnic group is superior to the other groups." When first reading this definition‚ one would naturally agree that ethnocentrism does exist in our world and society‚ often confusing it with patriotism. However‚ many do not realize that ethnocentrism is‚ has been‚ and continues to be a leading cause for violence
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are two perfect examples of real life accounts of the problems that they face in the field‚ and it is found that in order for anthropologists to be able to truly study a certain culture‚ they must understand the meanings of ethnocentrism and cultural relativism. Ethnocentrism must be understood so that it can be avoided‚ because it is the belief in the superiority of one’s own ethnic group‚ which could ultimately make it very difficult to truly study and learn about a culture if you are constantly
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Comparing the Nacirema culture to what I know to be considered "normal" from living in the United States my entire life gives you a whole new aspect of thinking towards why others act and feel the way that they do. One comparable thing is that everyone‚ no matter your culture or who you are‚ has a focus of concern towards their own appearance and health. The Nacirema culture is different in this aspect by the way they go about their concerns of their appearance and health‚ which I am sure the majority
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perspectives in order to judge a specific culture‚ and approach the studies of cultures using Cultural Relativism and Ethnocentrism. The definition of these terms is very different in many ways when describing cultures. Cultural Relativism is defined as the perspective that any aspect of a culture must be viewed and evaluated within the context of that culture. While‚ ethnocentrism‚ is defined as making value judgments based on one’s own culture when describing aspects of another culture. Cultural
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In the everyday life of the perceived “normal” individual‚ rituals and rites performed by individuals as part of a different culture might seem harsh‚ cruel or even barbaric. After my first read of "Body Ritual among the Nacirema"‚ that is how I perceived their daily way of life. They believe in magic potions‚ seeking pain from the “holy – mouth – men” a couple of times a year‚ and the men and women perform acts that seem to contradict one another by trying to obtain abnormal body shapes‚ and then
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Ethnocentrism happens when one culture or community holds their value system and integrity far superior to those of other cultures. Ethnocentrism can have many positive effects in society. It can unite communities and even countries. The belief system acts as a moral code for how we act and relate to others. It’s ingrained in every one of us‚ to an extent. Pride in one’s country‚ nationality‚ or ethnic background can be good for the society to flourish. When that pride becomes too strong or too vane
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1. Do you think you would enjoy a vacation in the land of the Nacirema? Why or why not? Where do the Nacirema live? Nacirema have different beliefs than I do. They believe you body is ugly and it is a vessel for disease and debility. This belief is not something I chose to believe. I believe we should all love our bodies. There are ways to prevent sickness and weakness outside conditions does these things to the body. The body does not function just for weakness and disease. I would not want to
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The movie Crash incorporates aspects of anthropology such as ethnocentrism‚ race‚ and differing roles in society. Each of these aspects is revealed through the lives of different people colliding with one another and according to biases and personal prejudices. The title Crash metaphorically represents the culture shock we experience when we “crash” into people of different nationalities. Ethnocentrism‚ the belief in the superiority of one ethic or racial group over another‚ is an evident theme
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