Aisha Reed Professor Navarette Sociology 10, 11 February 2013 Nacirema is American It is very difficult to think outside the box and let go of one’s cultural norms. It is very easy to point the finger in disgust and fall victim of ethnocentrism when it comes to an unfamiliar culture. The article Body Ritual among the Nacirema, by Horace Miner, brings to light a group of North American people, named Nacirema, that culture includes the obsession over rituals that are done to the human body. These rituals might seem different but try and take a culturally relative perspective and ask yourself, “Why?” Nacirema’s culture is highly developed and they are extremely committed to reaching economic goals. A substantial amount of money and time are spent on ritual deeds that are suppose to improve the appearance and health of the body.
Sociology 9/13/13 My Analysis of “Body Ritual Among The Nacirema” Horace Miner writes about the bizarre tribal practices of the Nacirema in “Body Ritual Among The Nacirema.” While reading through his report it becomes ever more aware that he is inadvertently speaking abut the American people. Nacirema is American spelled backwards. Miner takes things we do in our every day lives that are accepted by society, and turns them around and calls the rituals. These rituals are talked about in such a way that makes the reader think the Nacirema people are crazy, almost making the foreigners seam animalistic. When in real life they were doing things such as going to the doctor and getting there teeth cleaned.
The Eye of the Beholder Horace Miner's "Body Ritual among the Nacirema" focuses on the different aspects of the Nacirema culture in regards to the way its inhabitants view their bodies and overall physical appearance. In the passage Miner wastes no time in explaining the unique yet questionable rituals conducted by members of the Nacirema tribe. He also blatantly utilizes a sense of satire to express his own disapproval of the daily practices of a tribe very similar to the American people of the nineteen fifties. In an attempt to sum up his writing, it is safe to say that Americans are thought of to be disgusted by the human body and will go through extremely odd measures to correct its flaws. In the passage, Miner uses satire to deliver
Analysis of Riverside City Campus "The fundamental belief underlying the whole system appears to be that the human body is ugly and that its natural tendency is to debility and disease. Incarcerated in such a body, man's only hope is to avert these characteristics through the use of the powerful influences of ritual and ceremony." This was said by Bromislaw Malinowski, a British anthropologist, in Horace Miner's essay," Body Ritual among the Nacirema." In the essay, Miner shows the reader how an outsider views American culture, through sociological concepts of ethnocentrism and values. James M. Henslin, defines "ethnocentrism" as "the use of one's own culture as a yardstick for judging the ways of other individuals or societies, generally
[10] Many accounts also exist of donors being postoperatively denied their promised pay. [11] ▪ The New Cannibalism is a phrase coined by anthropologist Nancy Scheper-Hughes in 1998 for an article written for The New Internationalist. Her argument was that the actual exploitation is an ethical failing, a human exploitation; a perception of the poor as organ sources which may be used to extend the lives of the
Moreover, when being chosen by the mining company, the unsteady camerawork and constant switching of perspectives highlights the controversial nature of the conversation and presents Ernesto as an authoritative figure fighting the inhumane treatment of the impoverished in South America. By dismissing the notion of Justice within their environments, the composers argue that morality and justice are values necessary to our existence. By comparing two contextually dissimilar texts, John Steinbeck’s 1937 novella ‘Of Mice and Men’ and Walter Salles’ 2004 biopic ‘The Motorcycle Diaries’, we gain a clearer understanding on what is required of humanity. Through Steinbeck’s response to the socio-economic
Skloot’s purpose of telling Lack’s story does not come without the terrifying discovery of human experimentation. Researchers claim their experiments are for the greater good, but when they walk on a thin line, they will inevitably trample on both sides. According to the School of Law at Northwestern University, people who “violate bodily integrity and autonomy are routinely punished,” and yet scientist will escape unethical situations will only a slap on the wrist (99:1). Uncovering facts of Henrietta’s immortal life, Skloot indirectly poses the argument of medical malpractice. The medical experiments conducted during the nineteen forties and fifties were very controversial.
Journal 03: America Tony Hoagland’s poem “America” uses specific nouns and metaphors to tell readers that America is too obsessed with material objects and self-satisfaction. Hoagland uses these nouns and metaphors to hide truth from the naked eye, specific diction is also used in combination with these metaphors to expose corruption in American society. In the opening lines, Hoagland writes, “Then one of the students with blue hair and a tongue stud / Says that America is for him a maximum-security prison / Whose walls are made of Radio Shacks, Burger Kings, and MTV episodes.” Hoagland almost lists the details of American trends by mentioning hair color and piercings, and by describing businesses like Radio Shack which sell 70-inch flat screen televisions, which are completely unnecessary, and fast food restaurants like McDonald’s that give super-sized food portions. These allow readers to immediately see the ridiculous
Sicko is most closely related to Farmer's argument against just looking at healthcare's cost-effectiveness that he describes as one of the "excuses of our times" (Farmer, 274). In Sicko, one of the most horrifying facts brought to light is that some American insurance companies give bonuses to doctors who can find ways to avoid meeting the cost of medical treatments for policy holders. This is an overwhelming example of putting cost-effectiveness before health and quality healthcare, and even casts Americans as an unequal group because the film shows other parts of the world that have better access to quality health coverage. This shows that there are many levels of inequality in the healthcare system, and they are in place for a variety of reasons: social, economical, and
it's the group of people that did not like the change and stood in the way of mills becoming industrialized. Laws in England were put into place because of the Luddites such as punishing the destruction of a machine by death. Another issue is finding the nessesary power supply for their mill. cost of coal, cost of replacing labor. 4. think of Microsoft i think.