Rituals of the Nacirema

In his now-famous anthropology article "Body Ritual of the Nacirema," Miner sought to explain the "rituals," "charms," and "shrines" of this "magic-ridden people." The twist is that Nacirema is simply "American" spelled backward — and the odd and disturbing traditions he describes are in fact our own everyday routines. This article has inspired generations of students to rethink the way they frame discussions of cultures different from their own.

As part of our effort this trimester to de-center Western culture as we learn about the world, each seventh grader selected an everyday routine of Americans... ahem... an exotic ritual of the Nacirema and then composed their own anthropologist report after closely observing the ritual and interviewing two members of the tribe about why they willingly partake in it. The hilarious and eye-opening results are featured on this website, sorted by topic.

Rest assured that our student anthropologists do not in real life believe these routines to be as disturbing and harmful as they present them here. Rather, this is an exercise in perspective-taking. Enjoy!

~ Mr. Mike Fishback & Mrs. Cady Burstein,
social studies teachers