Nacirema Research Paper

Words: 582
Pages: 3

In past times Nacirema people had to rely heavily on hunting and gathering in order to eat, but in the modern world they rely on grocery stores. They open up their refrigerators and about every two weeks come to find that they have little to no food. Naturally the Nacirema people become irritated because now they have to run errands when all they wanted was a quick snack. It is ritual to head out to their car with preferably reusable bags, if one is environmentally conscious that is or just do not want to spend the extra ten cents on bags. They then head to their local grocery store. Upon walking up to the store Nacirema people grab a cart in order to carry groceries around. They enter the store with the intentions to only purchase everything …show more content…
For instance, if they are in the produce department and they come across two apples for six dollars, but if they are to buy one apple alone its three dollars and fifty cents. Many nacirema people feel that because it would make them fifty cents cheaper that they have to end up getting the two apples. They then spend the six dollars even if they were only planning on only getting one apple. There is also something that could be referred to as “silent salesmanship” which would include the placement of some items. For example, placing packaged shortbread cakes next to strawberries to show the Nacirema people that the two items would be a good combo in hopes that once they purchase the strawberries, they will also purchase the shortbread cakes knowing that they would be a good combo. With sales there are also some who believe in coupon deals and coupon deals only. They plan their grocery lists around the coupons that they have available. The less money they spend on necessities like food and toiletries bring them so much happiness and they view coupons as a sort of game of how they can spend the least amount of money in one