Body Ritual Among the Nacirema

...

in the repression or domination of one group by another” (Tischler 2014, 52). It is with cultural relativism that a fairer outlook on cultures can come. This concept is defined to be “the recognition that social groups and cultures must be studied and understood on their own terms before valid comparisons can be made” (Tischler 2014, 52). Miner makes an underlying suggestion through his article that in order to make a valid judgment on a culture, one must first be able to understand that culture as if they were a part of it. When reading about the Nacirema, the culture depicted leaves the reader with an uneasy feeling. After one realized that this is in fact an “outsider’s view” on their own culture it seems to be a reality check. “Culture relativism requires behaviors and customs to be viewed and analyzed within the context in which they occur” (Tischler 2014, 52). This statement alone explains how cultural relativism can eliminate the harsh judgments we make on cultures other than our own.

Material culture is yet another concept that is relevant to this article. By definition, material culture “consists of human technology – all the things human beings make and use from small handheld tools to skyscrapers” (Tischler 2014, 54). Miner includes many modern and “typical American” tools that are used daily for hygiene such as toothbrushes and hairdryers. These material items have created a culture revolved around body image and the importance of hygiene upkeep in an American society. This material culture, as proven in the Miner’s article, plays a big role on how other cultures would judge an American’s culture as an outsider.

Personally this article opened my eyes to show me how quick cultures are to judge one another without having an accurate understanding of that culture. After I read the article I made assumptions that the Nacirema were a weird cultured group of people. Once realizing the true meaning of the article, I was shocked at how naïve I had been with my theory. When taking ethnocentrism, cultural relativism and material culture into account when reading this article it is clear that Miner wants to show the reader that one cannot make an accurate position on a culture without being a part of that culture. Sociologists find themselves in this situation often and culture relativism is necessary when learning about, researching or trying to understand any culture. Miner, in this article, brought forward an idea that most people would not have thought about or connected with otherwise. Body Ritual among the Nacirema taught a very important lesson regarding one’s own culture and how one views cultures foreign to their own.

Works Cited

1. “Body Ritual among the Nacirema.” Seeing Ourselves: Classic, Contemporary, and Cross-Cultural Readings in Sociology. 8th ed. 2010. Print.

2. Tischler, Henry. Introduction to Sociology. 2011 Wadsworth: Cengage Advantage Books, 2014. Print.

...