The Nacirema: Response and Reflection, Essay Example

The human attitude towards the body is identified fully under the culture of the Nacirema society. This rather exotic group has specifically been noted by anthropologists as one of the most exotic ones discovered in the human history. The rituals that individuals belonging to the Nacirema society give attention to has inspired anthropologists to find a distinct description on the lengths to which human culture could be stretched out to. Belonging to the North American regions, the Nacirema culture is considered as one of the most sophisticated ones especially when it comes to determining a specifically identified market system that allows for the development of a specific constant growth in their own local economic status. The people were strongly dedicated towards improving their lifestyle; although the approaches were simply, it could be understood that somehow, the proper way of handling each one’s role in the society is dependent on how well they identify their role alongside the economic advancement that the community hopes to embrace.

The body, being the center of the Naciremans’ religious ritual, serves as the very element they use to offer to their gods. The body is considered ugly and imperfect. Hence, the people spend a lot of time perfecting themselves, their appearance and the way they look. Apart from the economic activities that they engage in, it is specifically considered that the purification of the human body is among the top priorities of the individuals in this particular cultural society To make sure that such purification occurs in such a manner that specifically addresses the concern over the need to make sure that every household has a devoted area for such purpose. The more powerful and more fortunate members of the society make sure that they have more than one area of the house devoted to such cleansing.

The shrines dedicated to such purposes are expected to be private in nature as only each individual is expected to enter the shrine alone to undergo purification methods. Each one is expected to strip off their clothes to undergo purification. Added with magic potions and medical ingredients proposed by the medicine men of the society, the purification process invokes the need for the people to be more involved in self-application operations that make it easier for them to be affected by the potions they believe would better improve their body and the way it is being perfected.

The different bodily rituals of the Naciremans regarding the purification of their bodies could be considered radical and extreme in nature. It could be understood though that because of the belief over the need to undergo such treatments and operations makes it possible for the Naciremans to take into account such rituals especially that they belief it would make their bodies much closer to the state of perfection. The supposed holiness of such rituals makes it possible for the people to accept whatever supposed necessary ritual is insisted to be given attention to.

Somehow, it could be said that the barbaric rituals are directly stated in irony of the supposed elitist standards of the community especially when it comes to the sophistication of the system they embrace in relation to social economic development. Abusing the body is specifically a determinable opposition to the supposed sophistication of the civilization that they embrace. However, because of the belief that these procedures would make them clean and purified especially in relation to perfecting their physical attributes, the people do not think twice especially in following these particular cultural rules. Since they believe that these approaches are theocratic and necessary for social acceptance, it is able to impact the lives of the people directly. This explains how much people would accept anything supposedly weird so long as they believe that it is necessary for the sake of social and godly acceptance.