The Nacirema: Readings on American Culture

by James P. Spradley (Editor), Michael A. Rynkiewich (Editor)

The existence of a national culture is illustrated in a collection of anthropological essays considering social values, beliefs, and practices in the United States.

The title is inspired by the essay "Body Ritual Among the Nacirema" by Horace Miner in American Anthropologist, 1956, 58(3), 503-507.

Genres: Nonfiction, Sociology, Short Stories

417 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1975

Reviews

[Ed Erwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is attached to an out-of-print 417-page book, but I'm only discussing the original short essay by Horace Miner that inspired it.

Very short funny essay in the tradition of Erewhon. Instead of Victorian England, this work satirizes 1950's USA. Originally published as "Body Ritual Among the Nacirema" in "American Anthropologist", 1956, 58(3), 503-507.

En lieu of review, I'll just quote from "Growing up Among the Nacirema":

It is obvious at this point that the Nacirema are not some exotic culture, but are in fact American, and that “Nacirema” is just “American” spelled backwards. This was Miner’s trick. He forced us to see the strange in the familiar and used the art of seeing like an anthropologist on his own culture.

This trick is one method of “seeing your own seeing” without going to an exotic culture. You can find the exotic right around you, and the more mundane, the better. Because when you reveal that even the most mundane beliefs and practices that make up your life can be viewed as strange and exotic, they also become contingent, which is a fancy way of saying that they need not exist or that they could have been different. Our beliefs and practices are contingent upon the historical and cultural conditions that led to them. And once we recognize them as contingent, we can ask new questions about them.

(I don't know who wrote "Growing Up ....", but both texts can easily be found online.)

[Mikayla Beckman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Woah this “book” has me shook. (Again it’s like 6 pages long so I feel like a fraud). As I was reading it my internal thoughts were “woah this is a messed up crazy culture!” Surprise surprise: it’s OUR messed up and crazy culture. This is very thought provoking and well written and I highly recommend reading because it’s only 6 pages.

I’m sorry to my fans for including every short story I read but writing is writing amirite?

[Sook · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's only about two pages long but yet it is one of the greatest sociological articles I've ever read. As a sociology major, I have read this articles probably more than dozen times but every time I read it, I am amazed by Horace Miner, by his analysis on the familiar culture we think is "normal".

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

got suspicious a fourth of the way through. genius and thought provoking.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trained as an anthropologist and archaeologist, I read this in college. Rereading it is just as thought provoking.