Nacirema

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The main aspect of the Nacirema that stood out to me is their philosophical view in regards to the human body.  The fundamental belief underlying the whole system appears to be that the human body is ugly and that its natural tendecy is to debility and disease(Miner p.147).  This philosophical view is a familiar aspect that exists within a “strange” people.  I believe that most people believe some form of the Nacirema view in regards to the human body.  What the Nacirema do through magic and rituals, Americans do through makeup and tanning.  What the Nacirema do through their ritual of the mouth, every culture does in a way of their own.  In my experience, I have come to conclude that appearance matters to everyone.  I recall a man who was the victim of a horrible fire.  His appearance has been completely altered by first degree burns.  Therefore, he pleads for money in the subways because he can’t get a job due to the appearance of his face.  The Nacirema view in regards to the human body is definitely not exclusive.  Another aspect about Nacirema culture that struck me was their form of what I call mild prostitution.  I was extremely shocked by the fact that Nacirema women can charge fees for gazes at their breasts.  I was even more shocked by the fact that some Nacirema women make a living this way from village to village.  The Nacirema culture demonstrates to me the reasons why reflexive anthropology exists.  If I am an American ethnographer sited in a Nacirema village, how do I not include personal feelings in my written ethnography about them?  Of course, one may do so by utilizing a certain degree of discretion and neutrality.