Miner also describes
a witchdoctor
called the “listener” who can exorcise demons from bewitched people. The Nacirema
Who are the people in Nacirema?
The Nacirema are a
group of people who live in the territory north of the Tarahuamare people of Mexico
. No one knows much about their origin, but traditional legends say they came from the east. Their customs have been studied for many years, yet their culture is still poorly understood.
What are 3/4 rituals that the nacirema perform?
Some of the popular aspects of Nacirema culture include: medicine men and women (doctors, psychiatrists, and pharmacists),
a charm-box (medicine cabinet)
, the mouth-rite ritual (brushing teeth), and a cultural hero known as Notgnihsaw (Washington spelled backwards).
What roles do the medicine men and the Latipso play?
The medicine men of the Nacirema have imposing temples called latipso in which
elaborate ceremonies are being held for seriously seek people
, with the help vestal maidens. Miner writes that the Nacirema are eager to undergo ceremonies at the latipso, believing that it would keep them alive.
What is the secret of the nacirema?
What is the secret of the nacirema? The Nacirema have
special medicine-men which hold secret knowledge of special substances
. These medicine men also function in a central temple in which people undergo brutal practices aimed at “curing” them from illness.
What is America spelled backwards?
Nacirema
(“American” spelled backwards) is a term used in anthropology and sociology in relation to aspects of the behavior and society of citizens of the United States of America.
Why is Nacirema American spelled backwards?
Miner's account of the Nacirema—American spelled backwards—was instead
a pointed criticism of anthropologists' tendency to hype up the perceived weirdness of other cultures
. His aim, as i09 puts it, was to show that “everything that's normal to us seems weird to someone else.”
What does a listener do for the nacirema?
Miner also describes a witchdoctor called the “listener” who can exorcise demons from bewitched people. The Nacirema believe that parents, especially mothers, bewitch their own children. The listener
treats people simply by listening to their talk of themselves
.
What really is the Latipso?
The latipso – in every community, there is a temple called the latipso
where the Naciremas believe they will be healed
. … Intercourse – this is a very taboo subject in the Nacirema culture. It is a scheduled event, and, sometimes, magical materials are even used to prevent pregnancy.
What are some Nacirema values?
The most important values of the Nacirema are
teeth, breast, and appearance
. Members of the society exemplify their wealth and power by how many shrines they have.
Who is the holy mouth man?
In the Nacireman culture, there are also people known as “holy-mouth men,” who
the people must visit twice a year
. A holy-mouth man's job is to enlarge any holes that decay might have caused in the mouth.
What function does the listener perform?
The listener
treats people simply by listening to their talk of themselves
. Towards the end of “Body Ritual Among the Nacirema” Miner adds a few more characteristics of the tribe like “ritual fasts to make fat people thin and ceremonial feasts to make thin people fat” and a fixation with women breast size.
What does the story about Nacirema teach us?
This
story is trying to get us to look at our own culture from the outside sine we are always thinking we are normal but other cultures are very strange
. When in reality, we are just as strange as other cultures are to us.
Does Nacirema culture still exist?
For example, every house of the Nacirema people has one or more shrines devoted to purifying the body, shrines containing charm-boxes full of supernatural substances aimed at keeping the body away from disease. …
The Nacirema don't exist and they are in fact American culture
(Nacirema in reverse).
What is the main idea of Body ritual among the Nacirema?
The fundamental belief of the Nacirema is
that the body is ugly and prone to weakness
. Therefore, man uses ritual and ceremony to avert his vulnerability. Homes have shrines made of stone for these customs, and those with more money may even have many shrines.
What is the basic focus of Nacirema society?
Nacirema culture is devoted to economic pursuits and ritual activity. The focus of this activity is
the human body, the appearance and health of
which are major concerns for the people. Many of the Nacirema's traditions are based on preserving bodily health and youth.
