The Nacerima

Ritualistic: I would describe The Nacerima as a people with intense rituals, especially when related to the natural workings of their bodies. They have a large variety of ceremonies surrounding different aspects of their health and appearance. "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 ritual and ceremony."

Modest: The Nacerima appear to be a modest people since the majority of their body rituals are done behind closed doors in private. "While each family has at least one such shrine, the rituals associated with it are not family ceremonies but are private and secret. The rites are normally only discussed with children, and then only during the period when they are being initiated into these mysteries." They only give up the timidity surrounding bodily functions when absolutely necessary, such as when ill or debilitated. "In everyday life the Nacerima avoids exposure of his body and its natural functions."

Unquestioning: The way the Nacerima are trusting of the different "medicine men" that they consult demonstrates that they do not appear to question or challenge those with what they see as authority. They accept the advice, even though it is sometimes painful, from the individuals that they see as powerful. "The extremely sacred and traditional character of the rite (mouth rite) is evident in the fact that the natives return to the holy-mouth-men year after year, despite the fact that their teeth continue to decay."

Assiduous: This word was picked because the Nacerima endure painful and not always successful procedures under the rationale of maintaining their health. They persevere with the potions and solutions that are specified by their "medicine men." They also cling devotedly to their customs that are supposed to improve their outward appearance, even if an outsider may not understand its purpose. There is "a distinctive part of the daily body ritual which is performed only by men. This part of the rite includes scraping and lacerating the surface of the face with a sharp instrument."

Valetudinarian: This word was chosen because from an outside perspective it would appear that this group is unduly concerned about their health, which is the definition of the word. It seems that even with the constant procedures, the population is not satisfied and is relentlessly looking for the next approach. "It is hard to understand how they have managed to exist so long under the burdens which they have imposed upon themselves." They are dedicated but not necessarily triumphant in their manner.


Part B of the Nacirema (or The American):


Before I answer the needed questions I am going to define certain terms which will determine how I answer those questions....(These definitions are from the New Oxford American Dictionary.)

bias: prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person or group.

prejudice: preconceived opinion not based on reason or actual experience.

judgment: an opinion or conclusion


1. As an American I don't have positive or negative feelings in regards to the words that I chose. I have to admit that I knew that the article was about the American culture, so I did have that in the back of my mind when I chose the words that I did. Knowing that may have subconsciously altered the words that were ultimately chosen, although I did try to be aware of that.

2. I don't believe that I used any words that demonstrate blatant ethnocentrism in the study of the culture. According to the above definitions though, any opinion or conclusion could be considered a judgment. Because descriptive words are, in a way, opinions in how the single anthropologist views the culture being studied, all of the words could then be determined to contain judgments. I think that the word that leaves the most open for cultural interpretation would be "modest." It is a subjective word and modest can be determined differently by different cultures.

3. I feel that the word "private" may have been a better, more accurate, word instead of "modest." Looking back I think it explains the point I was trying to make in a more precise way.

4. In looking at this I don't believe that it is possible to completely avoid personal cultural bias as an Anthropologist studying the culture of a different people. One's culture is so deeply ingrained into a person's being that there is not a way to completely separate from it. Culture influences a person's perspective on nearly everything in their life, whether they realize it or not. It is pervasive into one's thoughts, feelings, ideas and even emotions. If the Anthropologist is aware of their own culture though and how it has influenced their world-view, then they are more likely to be able to study a new culture with an open mind. Having that awareness can go a long way in reducing the impact of their own cultural influence on how they view the subject of their research. I think that avoiding ethnocentric judgments will allow the research culture to be studied for what it actually is for those who live in it without the anthropologist putting their opinion on it. This is important because more information about the culture can be acquired without preconceived notions hindering the research process.