ANTA02H3 Lecture Notes - Nacirema, William Graham Sumner, Cultural Relativism
Document Summary
Shrines in homes, adorning magical powers of the mouth. Satirical essay on the quasi serious academic account on the ritualistic adherence for bathrooms and vanity. While nothing in the article is untrue, it does not capture what the experience of being north. 2 purposes: reflect on north american cultural differences and reflect on dangers of othering too much. William graham sumner: ethnocentrism is the often implicit idea that your culture or group or lifestyle is the centre of everything. Everyone"s been guilty of ethnocentricity at least once in their life, normal thing to be ethnocentric. Example: george w bush freedom itself was attacked this morning by a faceless coward, and freedom will be defended . Central tenet of anthropology is to disprove/suspend ethnocentrism. Denaturalize things we take for granted as normal or as objective truths. Not suspending your beliefs but respect the values of the other cultures. High culture=more refined, developing the higher order of thought ex.
