I was able, however, to establish sufficient rapport with the natives to examine these shrines and to have the rituals described to me. The rites are normally only discussed with children, and then only during the period when they are being initiated into these mysteries. While each family has at least one such shrine, the rituals associated with it are not family ceremonies but are private and secret. Poorer families imitate the rich by applying pottery plaques to their shrine walls. Most houses are of wattle and daub construction, but the shrine rooms of the more wealthy are walled with stone. The more powerful individuals in the society have several shrines in their houses and, in fact, the opulence of a house is often referred to in terms of the number of such ritual centers it possesses. Every household has one or more shrines devoted to this purpose. Incarcerated in such a body, man’s only hope is to avert these characteristics through the use of ritual and ceremony. The fundamental belief underlying the whole system appears to be that the human body is ugly and that its natural tendency is to debility and disease. While such a concern is certainly not unusual, its ceremonial aspects and associated philosophy are unique. The focus of this activity is the human body, the appearance and health of which loom as a dominant concern in the ethos of the people. While much of the people’s time is devoted to economic pursuits, a large part of the fruits of these labors and a considerable portion of the day are spent in ritual activity. Nacirema culture is characterized by a highly developed market economy which has evolved in a rich natural habitat. According to Nacirema mythology, their nation was originated by a culture hero, Notgnihsaw, who is otherwise known for two great feats of strength-the throwing of a piece of wampum across the river Pa-To-Mac and the chopping down of a cherry tree in which the Spirit of Truth resided. Little is known of their origin, although tradition states that they came from the east. They are a North American group living in the territory between the Canadian Cree, the Yaqui and Tarahumare of Mexico, and the Carib and Arawak of the Antilles. Professor Linton first brought the ritual of the Nacirema to the attention of anthropologists twenty years ago, but the culture of this people is still very poorly understood. In this light, the magical beliefs and practices of the Nacirema present such unusual aspects that it seems desirable to describe them as an example of the extremes to which human behavior can go. The point has, in fact, been expressed with respect to clan organization by Murdock. In fact, if all of the logically possible combinations of behavior have not been found somewhere in the world, he is apt to suspect that they must be present in some yet undescribed tribe. The anthropologist has become so familiar with the diversity of ways in which different people behave in similar situations that he is not apt to be surprised by even the most exotic customs. Here Horace Miner demonstrates that “attitudes about the body” have a pervasive influence on many institutions in Nacirema society. Examples are “machismo” in Spanish-influenced cultures, “face” in Japanese culture, and “pollution by females” in some highland New Guinea cultures. A single value or pattern of perceiving the world often leaves its stamp on several institutions in the society. Most cultures exhibit a particular configuration or style.

Pathological fear of outside culture