Prasad 1
Aditya Prasad
Professor Angel Roque
Anthropology 2
31st January 2021
The Nacirema
The book “The Body Ritual Among the Nacirema” was written by an American anthro-
pologist named Horace Miner in 1956. The Nacirema was a group of North American people
who lived between modern-day Mexico and Canada. In his book, Miner utilized a judgemental
and sarcastic tone to describe the culture of the Nacirema. Through his writing style, Miner ex-
hibited lots of ethnocentrism, which believes that one’s group, ethnicity, or nationality is superior
to others. Initially, one may think that the Nacirema are an odd group of people who live in an
underdeveloped and primitive society. However, this is not true. The Nacirema are ordinary
Americans who follow a slightly different lifestyle. There are two significant palindromes in
Miner’s book that are relatable to Americans. “Nacirema” is “American” spelled backward, while
the Nacirema’s cultural hero, “Notgnihsaw,” is George Washington’s last name spelled backward.
When somebody begins to learn about a new culture for the first time, they might experi-
ence a culture shock. A culture shock occurs when someone feels disoriented or anxious after be-
ing subjected to an unfamiliar culture or way of life. However, when the individual who initially
had the culture shock begins to eliminate “ethnocentrism slowly” and tries to build a sense of
community, they understand the culture better. They become more sympathetic, empathetic, and
compassionate towards people who follow that particular culture.
Miner’s book can be summarized through the three major things he expresses disapproval
of. First, he addresses the Nacirema’s belief that the body is ugly and prone to weakness. When
Prasad 2
Miner explains the Nacirema’s view that the body is ugly and prone to weakness, it seems very
objective and factual at first. He calmly explains to the reader how the Nacirema use rituals and
ceremonies to overcome this. He states that “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.” (1956, 504). In this sentence, Miner explains how the
Nacirema protects themselves from ugliness and weakness. But by the time Miner reaches the
end of his description, the reader can begin to sense the satire. Miner states that “However, the
medicine men do not provide the curative potions for their clients, but decide what the ingredi-
ents should be and then write them down in an ancient and secret language.” (1956, 504). When
Miner describes the doctor’s (“medicine-men”) style of writing as an “ancient and secret lan-
