Mr, Wak Essay

33
BodyRitualamong
the Nacirema
HoraceMiner
Ritual involving repeated symbolic acts can beabout many things-the growth 01'crops, the response to death, movement (rom one social identity to anotheJ~community solidarity, and H1.uchn1-ore. Itcan also beabout one's body,including how to care(or it, how to makeit socially acceptable, and how to makeit impressive to others. Thisclassic article written in J958byHorace
Minerdescribes the extensive body ritual 01'aNorth American group, Ihe
Nacirema, whosehouses contain special shrines in which body ritual takes place. Fromthe article, it is clear that the society's elaborate variety o(body rituals reveals important Nacirenlacultural values.
FromHoraceMillet:"Body Ritualamong the Nacirema," TheAmerican Anthropologist, vol.58,
June (956. Usedbypermission ofBlackwellPublishing.
334
CHAP TER 33 • BodyRitualamong the Nacirema 335
Theanthropo]ogist has become so familiar with the diversity of ways in which differentpeoples behave In sirni lar sItuations that he is not apt to be sUI'prised hyeventhe mostexonc customs. In [act, IEallat the logically possible combi-nationsofbehavior have not been found Somewhere In the world, he is apt 10 suspectthat they must be present In some yet undescribed tribe. This point has,in fact, been expressed with respect to clan orgal1lzatlon by Murdock, In thislight, the magical beliefs and practice., of the Naclrema present such ual aspect that It seems deSirable to descr-ibe them as an example 01the unus . temesto which human behavim- can go. exr ProfessorLinton first brought the ritual of the Nacirernato the attention f thropologists twenty veal'S ago, but the culture of this people is still vcrv o:Iyunderstood. They are a Nonh American group living in the tctrit orv
:n,een the Canadian Cree, the Yaqui and Tarahurnare of Mexico. and the Car-ib andArawakof the Antilles, Lit t le is known of their ongm, although u-adition lies that they came from the east. , .. sa . rna culture is char-acter-ized by a highly developed market ecnnomv acire hof rl I'" hihh olved in a rich natural habitat. While muc A' tne peop es time IS

Show More

Assessment 1 Essays

Diary of San Francisco Essay example

Mr, Wak Essay

Related Documents: Mr, Wak Essay

Assessment 1 Essays

Diary of San Francisco Essay example