FIXATED
The people of Nacerima seem to fixate at their physical appearance and their ties to other people. These two categories interlink with not only with the routine activities they engage in but also to each other as well. Their ties to people are garnered directly from their physcial appearance and to safegaurd these social relationships they endure not only time consuming routines but also painful ones. For instance, they go to holy-mouth-men and have mouth-rites all because they want friends. They built shrines to which they can complete rituals that they believe would help them with their appearance and get them friends.
MATERIALISTIC
Nacerima were also materialistic. For instance powerful individuals had more than one shrines when their counterparts could do with one. Another example is the medicine man's demands of gifts, substantial ones too. If though people aren't able to give them gifts then the medicine man will not lend his assistance, even if the need was dire. This shows how materialistic the are because they value materials over a person's life.
SUPERSTITIOUS
The Nacerima were also a people of superstition. They believed in a whole array of magics, rituals and potions and how they could benefit from them. Even when said potions and procedures could not fully give them what they need they went ahead with the process anyway because they "believed" in it. They were superstitious that going to the holy-mouth-men and mouth rites would draw friends to them. They had shrines where they kept their magical potions and chests.
MASOCHISTIC
They were also masochistic. Their rituals were littered with acts that, in varying degrees, were painful. Their rituals to the holy-mouth-men consisted of having teeth pulled and holes put in them. The men cut there faces daily with sharp objects and women would put their heads in ovens. They would willingly walk into Latipso's and commit themselves for torture and discomfort.
DISCONTENT
The Nacerima were also discontented with themselves. They were not happy with how they looked and so they would physically alter their appearance. Their fundamental belief that the human body was ugly was definitely a driving factor for being discontented. They had practices that made the fat thin and vice versa. They also engaged in activities that either enlarged or lowered it in size.
(part B)
1. (5 pts) As an American, how do you feel about your choice of descriptive words in Part A?
I agree with the words I chose for the most part. They do describe a large number of people in America although maybe I used too soft a word because I didn't want to sound rude or too judgmental so I chose words that were "nicer" But, now that I'm seeing it is America I'm talking about I feel a little different towards it, like I want to justify these actions.
2. (5 pts) Do any of your choices exhibit ethnocentrism on your part? In other words, do any of your descriptive words reveal a judgment of the Nacerima rooted in your own cultural bias? Are any of your words free of bias? Identify the words you feel are biased and unbiased and explain your reasoning.
I think my words are bias because I used "nicer" words to describe them because I saw similarities with America. All of them are bias really because I had the thought that America was similar as I read so I chose words that wouldn't be too bad.
3. (5 pts) For any of the words that are biased, can you provide alternate words that are free of bias but communicate the same explanatory information and intent of your original word?
Maybe obsessed, overly insecure, shallow and vain.
4. (5 pts) From this experience, reflect on the importance of avoiding ethnocentric judgments when describing other cultures. Why is it important to describe another culture in a manner as free from personal cultural bias as possible? Do you think it is possible to completely avoid personal cultural bias as a Cultural Anthropologist?
I don't think it's possible to completely avoid cultural bias simply because sometimes it comes so natural as it hard to see how where when it starts. It's ingrained in us too much so it's become our immediate response. It's important, though, to leave cultural bias out to fully understand another person and their culture beyond simple words and actions. The reasons to the whys are answered and better understood when we have no bias.
At first I thought that it was possible to not have any cultural bias, but you make a really good point. It's human nature to judge and be biased even though you know it's wrong, you subconsciously make judgements, but it doesn't always affect the persons beliefs. That's why I agree that we need to avoid it as much as possible to have a full understanding of another culture.
ReplyDelete"Nicer"?? No.
ReplyDeleteUnbiased doesn't mean "nice". Unbiased means that you aren't using words that carries a judgement of "good" or "bad" with it. It is purely descriptive. A person reading your description should come away only with a better understanding of the culture you are describing with none of your own opinions or biases.
Yes, all of your words seemed to carry a bias, because they all gave the reader (me) a negative opinion of this culture, an opinion provided by you. A reader can form opinions based upon a purely descriptive set of words, but they should come to the opinion on their own, not because you fed it to them. Does that make sense?
On that note, all of the alternatives you chose in part 3 were also very biased. :-)
I agree with you that it is important to avoid bias, but I'm not so hopeful that it is possible to completely avoid bias. We are human. The best we can do is to be aware of our bias and try to prevent it from polluting our work as anthropologists.
I know, I know :) My brain was already dead set with those words from the start. I'm was/am having trouble separating my own opinions so to not create bias but I will do better the next time. And I meant nice in the way you meant it but for lack of a better word/ better way of putting it I just put it in quotation marks. I will work on my language also since it's an important part of culture n'all.
Delete:-) Language is very important in the sciences (and in academics in general). It is the key way of communicating very complex ideas. If you aren't accurate in what you say, miscommunication runs rampant and science doesn't advance. Good rule of thumb: Say what you mean and mean what you say.
DeleteI am just curious as to why you were worried about being too judgmental? I think your words fit the Nacirema quite well. By being "too nice" I feel like maybe you had a different mind set than most of us did. I noticed some of the class was not worried about being judgmental and maybe that is something most Americans do; we judge. I am not saying that it is okay to judge but it seems as if it has become a part of our nature.
ReplyDeleteI think materialistic described the "Nacirema" tribe perfectly. Although your description for the word seemed to carry a bias. For example, you said, "though people aren't able to give them gifts then the medicine man will not lend his assistance, even if the need was dire." This sentence demonstrates that the sentence is biased because it made the reader (me) think that the medicine men were wrong for denying their services if they didn't receive gifts.
ReplyDelete