- Pessimist - "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." I agree that the natural tendency of the body is to debility and disease but I feel that the Nacirema culture is pessimistic because it doesn't admire the beauty of a human body.
- Inequality - "Poorer families imitate the rich by applying pottery plaques to their shrine walls." This quote demonstrates that inequality exists amongst the Nacirema tribe. The poorer families attempt to blur the inequality that exists between them and their richer neighbors by placing plaques to their shrine walls.
- Dentist - "the people seek out a holy-mouth-man once or twice a year." Similar to our yearly dentist check ups. Their holy-mouth-man is the same as our dentist.
- Hygiene - "Bathing and excretory acts are performed only in the secrecy of the household shrine, where they are ritualized as part of the body-rites." The Nacirema perform these acts at home. They seem to care a lot about their hygiene because they even have shrines where they bathe.
- Surgery - "Still other rites are used to make women's breasts larger if they are small, and smaller if they are large." These rites must be similar to the breast augmentation and breast reduction. The Nacirema tribe must be technologically advanced to perform these "rites".
Part B:
- As an American, I feel that the choice of words describing our culture are on point. There is definitely a lot of inequality in America. Also, as Americans we are constantly trying to stay young and avoid aging, often depending of surgical procedures.
- I think "hygiene" is biased. In order for me to say a culture has good hygiene I need to compare it to other cultures, particularly my own. Therefore, I have a biased opinion on what I believe good hygiene is. I don't think any of the other words were based on bias judgement.
- I cannot think of another word to replace "hygiene" with that would not be biased. Maybe I can say "relatively good hygiene" instead.
- It is important to describe another culture in a manner as free from cultural bias as possible because if we don't it is impossible to actually understand the culture. I do not think it is possible to completely avoid cultural bias as a cultural anthropologist because everyone has values, and although some people learn to be tolerant of others cultures, in a sense those people are still being bias because they feel that they have to be "tolerant" of other cultures. Indicating that one culture is better than another.
I agree with what you have to say on your question number form, because there is no way you can stop your self of every single word, but its worth a shot. Professional Anthropologist can watch what they say because this is what they do, so they are use to it, but us on the other hand I think need a lot more practice in that department. With the hygiene area to them they are clean enough to were they are satisfied to where, I don't think we have the right to look at another culture and pretty much say they are not clean enough. I mean how would we like it if people were judging us like that, when this is how we were raised, do you see what my point it?
ReplyDeleteIn general, good choice of words. One point is that some of the words you chose weren't adjectives but nouns. Harder to be biased with a noun. But "pessimist" (or pessimistic) does tend to have a negative judgment that comes along with it.
ReplyDeleteActually, "hygiene" by itself carries no bias, again because it is a noun. "Hygienic" might be what you are looking for, but that might carry the bias.
Good final discussion.