Body Ritual Among the Nacirema Summary Essay Example

Body Ritual Among the Nacirema Summary Essay Example Body Ritual Among the Nacirema Summary Paper Body Ritual Among the Nacirema Summary Paper Body Ritual Among the Nacirema Analysis What is the purpose of Body Ritual Among the Nacirema? The author’s purpose in writing this article was not to show the â€Å"Nacirema† as an example of how extreme human behavior can become, but how an outside perspective can affect your perception of an alien culture. If one were to look at the â€Å"Nacirema’s† cultural behaviors regarding physical appearance and health without any insight or knowledge of the specific beliefs or values of that culture, they might seem bizarre and even incomprehensible. By showing behaviors and â€Å"rituals† performed by this unknown tribe, Miner allowed others to see that the way studies were representing distinctive cultures was narrowminded and defective. Without the proper comprehension of the basis of any society, huge cultural misunderstandings could occur. Of course, in Miner’s article, the â€Å"Nacirema† refers to the American people, but in discussing ‘them’ as an exotic or unfamiliar people you are forced to forgo any ethnocentric notions of American society and try to understand their customs and rituals from an etic perspective. It’s an interesting and intriguing way to show a cultural analysis of a â€Å"primitive† people and provide a biased outlook on a different culture. The author’s thesis is that the â€Å"Nacirema† are a people based around their perception of physical appearances and peculiar rituals. Although the concept of the human body as an â€Å"ugly† and decaying vessel is paramount to the rationalization of such rituals, much of their daily routines are meant to avoid or dissuade this conviction. These curious rituals occur in the privacy of â€Å"shrines† and, for the most part, the human body and its natural functions are veiled and only spoken of to â€Å"medicine men† and â€Å"witch-doctors†. Also, they seem to be a â€Å"masochistic† society constructed around willingly subjecting themselves to pain and â€Å"tortures†. The â€Å"Nacirema† deliberately permit â€Å"medicine men† and â€Å"holy-mouth-men† to perform excruciating procedures to prevent the inevitable decay of their bodies and mouths. And while the ideal human form is unrealistic and unattainable for most, much of their wealth is allocated for â€Å"rites† used to painfully correct their unsatisfactory genetic traits. Miner’s article presents numerous anthropological concepts including culture, social behaviors, symbols, material culture and holism. While providing us with a synchronic view of an unexplored culture, Miner tackles the principle mindset that governs the â€Å"Nacirema’s† social customs and â€Å"rituals†, looks at key symbols and material possessions as the focus of the culture, and highlights the importance of studying a culture in its entirety to gain a full and accurate understanding. The psychology of the â€Å"Nacirema† people is one of malcontent. There seems to be a general dissatisfaction with one’s body and this inescapable attitude reaches into almost every aspect of their lives. The psychology of the â€Å"Nacirema† people is one of malcontent. There seems to be a general dissatisfaction with one’s body and this inescapable attitude reaches into almost every aspect of their lives. The â€Å"Nacirema† seem to necessitate unhappiness and even pain. They voluntarily allow â€Å"holy-moth-men† to subject them to torturous practices meant to postpone the inevitable decay of their mouths, pay â€Å"herbalists† to provide them with â€Å"potions† and â€Å"charms† expected to improve their health and consent to â€Å"medicine men† poking them with needles and performing life-threatening procedures all in the name of beauty and driven by the fundamental mentality that the body is ugly. Miner uses cultural materialism to explore and explain different aspects of the â€Å"Nacirema† culture. By emphasizing bathrooms as a â€Å"shrine† and sinks as â€Å"fonts†, Miner is better able to explain the obsession with body image and â€Å"rituals† used to clean and beautify our bodies. Through the â€Å"chests built into walls† or cabinets full of medicine, most of which are used once and stowed away, Miner can describe the underlying need of the â€Å"Nacirema† people to be consumed by their health. Most people hoard these medicines, creams and tonics out of the fear that they may once again be necessary and, at the same time, hope they won’t. Holism is not a concept lost on Horice Miner. What he was trying to convey in his article was that you cannot just take a glimpse of another culture and expect to understand it. In order to appreciate other cultures you need to submerge yourself in that culture and be conscious of every aspect of the culture to fully grasp an understanding of it. Miner’s satirical interpretation of the American cultures was meant to prove that without the in depth knowledge of a cultures beliefs and structure, there’s no way to make sense of even basic customs. The first two chapters of Miller’s Cultural Anthropology in a Globalizing World are meant to define and explain what cultural anthropology is and how to properly conduct research. Horace Miner’s article attempts to do the same thing with an entirely different approach. Nacirema culture summary Instead of saying outright that the way previous research had been carried out was misrepresenting entire populations of people, he decided to take an anthropological look at a well known culture from an outside perspective and show how easily its ideas and principles could be misunderstood when taken out of it own social context. This reading was meaningful and thought provoking to me because instead of a monotonous essay preaching about the importance of cultural relativism when analyzing different cultures, Miner was able to make his point with a slight mocking and sarcastic undertone. I found it provocative and compelling that he was able to interpret and criticize the absurdities of his own culture and provide insight on the importance of perspective in studying any culture. He pokes fun at the â€Å"Nacirema’s† conflicting ideology of obsessing over displays of beauty and opulence while becoming engulfed in indulgent, self-destructive behavior and engrossing the need to continually make more wealth. Miner, Horace 1956 Body Ritual among the Nacirema. American Anthropologist 58:3. Miller, Barbara 2010 Cultural Anthropology in a Globalizing World 2nd edition Boston: Pearson.

Body Ritual Among the Nacirema Summary Essay Example

Body Ritual Among the Nacirema Summary Essay Example Body Ritual Among the Nacirema Summary Paper Body Ritual Among the Nacirema Summary Paper Body Ritual Among the Nacirema Analysis What is the purpose of Body Ritual Among the Nacirema? The author’s purpose in writing this article was not to show the â€Å"Nacirema† as an example of how extreme human behavior can become, but how an outside perspective can affect your perception of an alien culture. If one were to look at the â€Å"Nacirema’s† cultural behaviors regarding physical appearance and health without any insight or knowledge of the specific beliefs or values of that culture, they might seem bizarre and even incomprehensible. By showing behaviors and â€Å"rituals† performed by this unknown tribe, Miner allowed others to see that the way studies were representing distinctive cultures was narrowminded and defective. Without the proper comprehension of the basis of any society, huge cultural misunderstandings could occur. Of course, in Miner’s article, the â€Å"Nacirema† refers to the American people, but in discussing ‘them’ as an exotic or unfamiliar people you are forced to forgo any ethnocentric notions of American society and try to understand their customs and rituals from an etic perspective. It’s an interesting and intriguing way to show a cultural analysis of a â€Å"primitive† people and provide a biased outlook on a different culture. The author’s thesis is that the â€Å"Nacirema† are a people based around their perception of physical appearances and peculiar rituals. Although the concept of the human body as an â€Å"ugly† and decaying vessel is paramount to the rationalization of such rituals, much of their daily routines are meant to avoid or dissuade this conviction. These curious rituals occur in the privacy of â€Å"shrines† and, for the most part, the human body and its natural functions are veiled and only spoken of to â€Å"medicine men† and â€Å"witch-doctors†. Also, they seem to be a â€Å"masochistic† society constructed around willingly subjecting themselves to pain and â€Å"tortures†. The â€Å"Nacirema† deliberately permit â€Å"medicine men† and â€Å"holy-mouth-men† to perform excruciating procedures to prevent the inevitable decay of their bodies and mouths. And while the ideal human form is unrealistic and unattainable for most, much of their wealth is allocated for â€Å"rites† used to painfully correct their unsatisfactory genetic traits. Miner’s article presents numerous anthropological concepts including culture, social behaviors, symbols, material culture and holism. While providing us with a synchronic view of an unexplored culture, Miner tackles the principle mindset that governs the â€Å"Nacirema’s† social customs and â€Å"rituals†, looks at key symbols and material possessions as the focus of the culture, and highlights the importance of studying a culture in its entirety to gain a full and accurate understanding. The psychology of the â€Å"Nacirema† people is one of malcontent. There seems to be a general dissatisfaction with one’s body and this inescapable attitude reaches into almost every aspect of their lives. The psychology of the â€Å"Nacirema† people is one of malcontent. There seems to be a general dissatisfaction with one’s body and this inescapable attitude reaches into almost every aspect of their lives. The â€Å"Nacirema† seem to necessitate unhappiness and even pain. They voluntarily allow â€Å"holy-moth-men† to subject them to torturous practices meant to postpone the inevitable decay of their mouths, pay â€Å"herbalists† to provide them with â€Å"potions† and â€Å"charms† expected to improve their health and consent to â€Å"medicine men† poking them with needles and performing life-threatening procedures all in the name of beauty and driven by the fundamental mentality that the body is ugly. Miner uses cultural materialism to explore and explain different aspects of the â€Å"Nacirema† culture. By emphasizing bathrooms as a â€Å"shrine† and sinks as â€Å"fonts†, Miner is better able to explain the obsession with body image and â€Å"rituals† used to clean and beautify our bodies. Through the â€Å"chests built into walls† or cabinets full of medicine, most of which are used once and stowed away, Miner can describe the underlying need of the â€Å"Nacirema† people to be consumed by their health. Most people hoard these medicines, creams and tonics out of the fear that they may once again be necessary and, at the same time, hope they won’t. Holism is not a concept lost on Horice Miner. What he was trying to convey in his article was that you cannot just take a glimpse of another culture and expect to understand it. In order to appreciate other cultures you need to submerge yourself in that culture and be conscious of every aspect of the culture to fully grasp an understanding of it. Miner’s satirical interpretation of the American cultures was meant to prove that without the in depth knowledge of a cultures beliefs and structure, there’s no way to make sense of even basic customs. The first two chapters of Miller’s Cultural Anthropology in a Globalizing World are meant to define and explain what cultural anthropology is and how to properly conduct research. Horace Miner’s article attempts to do the same thing with an entirely different approach. Nacirema culture summary Instead of saying outright that the way previous research had been carried out was misrepresenting entire populations of people, he decided to take an anthropological look at a well known culture from an outside perspective and show how easily its ideas and principles could be misunderstood when taken out of it own social context. This reading was meaningful and thought provoking to me because instead of a monotonous essay preaching about the importance of cultural relativism when analyzing different cultures, Miner was able to make his point with a slight mocking and sarcastic undertone. I found it provocative and compelling that he was able to interpret and criticize the absurdities of his own culture and provide insight on the importance of perspective in studying any culture. He pokes fun at the â€Å"Nacirema’s† conflicting ideology of obsessing over displays of beauty and opulence while becoming engulfed in indulgent, self-destructive behavior and engrossing the need to continually make more wealth. Miner, Horace 1956 Body Ritual among the Nacirema. American Anthropologist 58:3. Miller, Barbara 2010 Cultural Anthropology in a Globalizing World 2nd edition Boston: Pearson.

Body Ritual Among the Nacirema Summary Essay Example

Body Ritual Among the Nacirema Summary Essay Example Body Ritual Among the Nacirema Summary Paper Body Ritual Among the Nacirema Summary Paper Body Ritual Among the Nacirema Analysis What is the purpose of Body Ritual Among the Nacirema? The author’s purpose in writing this article was not to show the â€Å"Nacirema† as an example of how extreme human behavior can become, but how an outside perspective can affect your perception of an alien culture. If one were to look at the â€Å"Nacirema’s† cultural behaviors regarding physical appearance and health without any insight or knowledge of the specific beliefs or values of that culture, they might seem bizarre and even incomprehensible. By showing behaviors and â€Å"rituals† performed by this unknown tribe, Miner allowed others to see that the way studies were representing distinctive cultures was narrowminded and defective. Without the proper comprehension of the basis of any society, huge cultural misunderstandings could occur. Of course, in Miner’s article, the â€Å"Nacirema† refers to the American people, but in discussing ‘them’ as an exotic or unfamiliar people you are forced to forgo any ethnocentric notions of American society and try to understand their customs and rituals from an etic perspective. It’s an interesting and intriguing way to show a cultural analysis of a â€Å"primitive† people and provide a biased outlook on a different culture. The author’s thesis is that the â€Å"Nacirema† are a people based around their perception of physical appearances and peculiar rituals. Although the concept of the human body as an â€Å"ugly† and decaying vessel is paramount to the rationalization of such rituals, much of their daily routines are meant to avoid or dissuade this conviction. These curious rituals occur in the privacy of â€Å"shrines† and, for the most part, the human body and its natural functions are veiled and only spoken of to â€Å"medicine men† and â€Å"witch-doctors†. Also, they seem to be a â€Å"masochistic† society constructed around willingly subjecting themselves to pain and â€Å"tortures†. The â€Å"Nacirema† deliberately permit â€Å"medicine men† and â€Å"holy-mouth-men† to perform excruciating procedures to prevent the inevitable decay of their bodies and mouths. And while the ideal human form is unrealistic and unattainable for most, much of their wealth is allocated for â€Å"rites† used to painfully correct their unsatisfactory genetic traits. Miner’s article presents numerous anthropological concepts including culture, social behaviors, symbols, material culture and holism. While providing us with a synchronic view of an unexplored culture, Miner tackles the principle mindset that governs the â€Å"Nacirema’s† social customs and â€Å"rituals†, looks at key symbols and material possessions as the focus of the culture, and highlights the importance of studying a culture in its entirety to gain a full and accurate understanding. The psychology of the â€Å"Nacirema† people is one of malcontent. There seems to be a general dissatisfaction with one’s body and this inescapable attitude reaches into almost every aspect of their lives. The psychology of the â€Å"Nacirema† people is one of malcontent. There seems to be a general dissatisfaction with one’s body and this inescapable attitude reaches into almost every aspect of their lives. The â€Å"Nacirema† seem to necessitate unhappiness and even pain. They voluntarily allow â€Å"holy-moth-men† to subject them to torturous practices meant to postpone the inevitable decay of their mouths, pay â€Å"herbalists† to provide them with â€Å"potions† and â€Å"charms† expected to improve their health and consent to â€Å"medicine men† poking them with needles and performing life-threatening procedures all in the name of beauty and driven by the fundamental mentality that the body is ugly. Miner uses cultural materialism to explore and explain different aspects of the â€Å"Nacirema† culture. By emphasizing bathrooms as a â€Å"shrine† and sinks as â€Å"fonts†, Miner is better able to explain the obsession with body image and â€Å"rituals† used to clean and beautify our bodies. Through the â€Å"chests built into walls† or cabinets full of medicine, most of which are used once and stowed away, Miner can describe the underlying need of the â€Å"Nacirema† people to be consumed by their health. Most people hoard these medicines, creams and tonics out of the fear that they may once again be necessary and, at the same time, hope they won’t. Holism is not a concept lost on Horice Miner. What he was trying to convey in his article was that you cannot just take a glimpse of another culture and expect to understand it. In order to appreciate other cultures you need to submerge yourself in that culture and be conscious of every aspect of the culture to fully grasp an understanding of it. Miner’s satirical interpretation of the American cultures was meant to prove that without the in depth knowledge of a cultures beliefs and structure, there’s no way to make sense of even basic customs. The first two chapters of Miller’s Cultural Anthropology in a Globalizing World are meant to define and explain what cultural anthropology is and how to properly conduct research. Horace Miner’s article attempts to do the same thing with an entirely different approach. Nacirema culture summary Instead of saying outright that the way previous research had been carried out was misrepresenting entire populations of people, he decided to take an anthropological look at a well known culture from an outside perspective and show how easily its ideas and principles could be misunderstood when taken out of it own social context. This reading was meaningful and thought provoking to me because instead of a monotonous essay preaching about the importance of cultural relativism when analyzing different cultures, Miner was able to make his point with a slight mocking and sarcastic undertone. I found it provocative and compelling that he was able to interpret and criticize the absurdities of his own culture and provide insight on the importance of perspective in studying any culture. He pokes fun at the â€Å"Nacirema’s† conflicting ideology of obsessing over displays of beauty and opulence while becoming engulfed in indulgent, self-destructive behavior and engrossing the need to continually make more wealth. Miner, Horace 1956 Body Ritual among the Nacirema. American Anthropologist 58:3. Miller, Barbara 2010 Cultural Anthropology in a Globalizing World 2nd edition Boston: Pearson.

40 Common English Idioms

40 Common English Idioms Learning English isn’t as easy as some might think. First, grammar muddies the waters (makes things unclear), and idiomatic expressions only add fuel to the fire (make things worse). If you’re taking the TOEFL or the TOEIC, or just want to know more common idioms,  study this list of 40 common idiomatic expressions before you take the test. They may just help your English language acquisition soar (get much better). Common English Idioms 24/7: Twenty-four hours a day; seven days a week; all the time; constantly. My little sister irritates me 24/7!A short fuse: A quick temper. Jamie is known for his short fuse; just a few days ago he screamed at his coach for not letting him play.A taste of your own medicine: Bad treatment deservedly received for treating other people badly.  After constantly being prank-called, Julian decided to give Juan a taste of his own medicine and ordered twenty-seven pizzas to be delivered to Juan’s house.Butterflies in my stomach: To be nervous.  Liam had butterflies in his stomach before he went on stage to play the violin.By the skin of your teeth:  To just barely get by or make it.  Lester made the dance team by the skin of his teeth; you can tell he hasnt been dancing jazz for very long.  Cat got your tongue?: Can’t you speak? (Usually said to embarrass the other person).  I just saw you kissing my boyfriend. What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?Crying w olf:  To ask for help when you dont need it.  You have cried wolf so many times that no one believes you when youre really hurt.   Cut someone some slack:  To not judge someone too harshly.  Hey. Cut me some slack. I was really busy with my frog hunting business last week and forgot to call. Im sorry!Down for the count: Tired; giving up; unable or unwilling to participate any longer.  No, you can’t take my dog for a walk- she’s down for the count after chasing cats all day.Draw the line: To stop; to know the point where something goes from okay to not okay.  Now I draw the line at speaking in front of 34,000 people.Easier said than done: Not as easy as it appears to be.  You want me to come to work at 6:00 AM? Easier said than done!Every cloud has a silver lining: You can find good in every bad situation.  Even though you just got fired, remember that every cloud has a silver lining- at least you don’t have to work for that grouchy boss anymore!Finding a needle in a haystack: Virtually impossible to find.  Trying to get a new job these days is like trying to find a needle in a haystack.Fish out of water: To be out of place.  Tom felt like a fish out of water at the Star Trek convention his new girlfriend begged him to attend. Get something off your chest: To talk about something that has been bothering you for a long time; to admit something you have done wrong.  I have to get this off my chest- I copied your answers on the SAT. Thanks for the 15th percentile score, by the way.  Give it a whirl: To try something.  I’ve never gone kite-boarding, but I’m prepared to give it a whirl!Go down in flames:  To fail suddenly and spectacularly.  The football players career went down in flames after the media learned hed been losing on purpose to settle gambling debts.  Go the extra mile:  To make an extra effort.  My dentist always goes the extra mile, offering free back massages at the end of a stressful tooth extraction.  Hang in there:  Be patient. Wait it out.  I know youre struggling right now in school but just hang in there. Itll get easier. I promise.  In the fast lane: A life filled with excitement.  When Curtis turned forty, he decided he needed to live life in the fast lane, so he quit his job as a dentist and decided to tour Europe by motorcycle. In the nick of time: Almost too late.  You gave me that main idea help in the nick of time- my teacher just gave us a quiz on that reading skill and I passed it!Let the cat out of the bag: Tell a secret.  Brady’s surprise party is going to be great if you don’t let the cat out of the bag.Let the chips fall where they may:  To let something happen, no matter if its good or bad.  Look. Im going to just try out for the cheerleading squad and let the chips fall where they may.  Lose your marbles: To go crazy; insane.  Mom  has really lost her marbles; shes making me practice writing the ACT Essay seven times this week!Once in a blue moon: Rarely.  In Florida, the temperature drops below freezing only once in a blue moon.Plain as day: Obvious; clear.  It’s plain as day that you’re in love with her, so just admit it.Play second fiddle: To be less important.  I hate playing second fiddle to my sister; she always does things better than I do!Pu t your foot in your mouth: Saying something you shouldn’t have.  Jessica really put her foot in her mouth when she asked about John’s job right after he lost it. Pull yourself together:  Calm down and behave normally.  Pull yourself together, man! Sure, your girlfriend just dumped you and then you got hit by a car, but you cant let those things get you down.  Sick and tired: To be bothered or annoyed by.  She is sick and tired of her dog chewing up her shoes every day.Sleep on it: To think about something for a while before making a decision.  Don’t tell me whether you’ll move to Texas with me or not today. Sleep on it, and get back to me tomorrow.Snug as a bug in a rug: Warm and cozy; content.  That baby looks as snug as a bug in a rug cuddled up next to his mother.Step up your game:  To start performing better.  Listen, Jen. Youd better step up your game if you want to get all As in Miss Finchs Physics class. She isnt easy!Stick your nose into something: To interfere.  Sharon always sticks her nose into everyone else’s business.Straight from the horse’s mouth: Directly from the person involved.à ‚  Listen to the news straight from the horse’s mouth; we’re all getting bonuses this week! Take it easy: Relax.  I know you’re not feeling well, so try to take it easy today.Tip of the iceberg: The small easily visible part of a larger problem.  The fact that Carrie is dating a member of the mafia is just the tip of the iceberg; she’s also smuggling contraband into the country.To not see the wood for the trees: To be so involved with the details that you don’t get the most important facts.  She always argues about the silliest things; it’s like she can’t see the wood for the trees.Up a creek without a paddle: In an unlucky/bad situation.  If you don’t have any money to pay for the repairs we just made to your car, I guess you’re up a creek without a paddle because you can’t have your car back.You rock!: You are great.  Dude. You rock. Thanks for offering to watch my pet iguana all week.   These are just a few of the thousands of idioms in the English language. Get your feet wet (start) with these, and then move on to the idioms that will knock your socks off (astound you).