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Reading Reflection

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Subject

Sociology

Type

Homework

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creary0999

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Running head: BODY RITUALS 1

Body ritual among the Nacirema

Name

Institution

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BODY RITUALS 2

Body ritual among the Nacirema

From reading the passage, it is clear that what may pass as unacceptable in one

community or society may very well be the common norm in another society. Societies are very

diverse in practices and many cases, the application of similar standards to judge what backfires

is good or bad usually. Sociologists should treat each society differently from other societies and

be able to make observations from a neutral standpoint to succeed in the study of anthropology.

The case of the Necirema is a good example of how practices that are seen as outright bizarre in

the mainstream American culture are acceptable in the ethnic settings of the group.

Several practices are performed in the body rituals that are either illogical or brutal t5hat

the people of the tribe voluntarily participate in and yet such treatment is unacceptable among

the general population. For instance, the mouth rituals that involve the insertion of objects in the

holes of rotten teeth or making holes in the teeth of people to prevent teeth and the gums of the

clients from going bad is a brutal practice that may seem farfetched (Miner, 1956). However, as

the author puts it, it happens every year to cleanse the mouths of the people because mouths are

seen as very powerful organs that are connected to morality. Therefore, even though the reason

for the rituals may be logical, the rituals themselves are very painful. As a sociologist, one

studying the body rituals should try to be as neutral as possible and avoid judging the rituals in

order to get the information one needs. It is important to have very strong ethics as a scholar to

ensure that the personal biases of the researcher do not affect the results of the study, especially

when handling cases such as those explained in the passage that involves activities that are not

conventional.

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Running head: BODY RITUALS 1 Body ritual among the Nacirema Name Institution BODY RITUALS 2 Body ritual among the Nacirema From reading the passage, it is clear that what may pass as unacceptable in one community or society may very well be the common norm in another society. Societies are very diverse in practices and many cases, the application of similar standards to judge what backfires is good or bad usually. Sociologists should treat each society differently from other societies and be able to make observations from a neutral standpoint to succeed in the study of anthropology. The case of the Necirema is a good example of how practices that are seen as outright bizarre in the mainstream American culture are acceptable in the ethnic settings of the group. Several practices are performed in the body rituals that are either illogical or brutal t5hat the people of the tribe volun ...
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