While reading the article about the Nacirema, I was taken aback from the extreme rituals of the Nacirema. But after careful consideration, I do see similarities to the American society. In some of the Nacirema’s “ritual” practices, there is a parallel to similar “rituals” in our society. We think of similar instances as everyday life, just as Nacirema do. While we practice similar rituals, we are different in that we live in a society of choice. The behaviors of this society resembles cult like tendencies to most observers, however, the behaviors are as innate as breathing to the Nacierma.

The “shrine” ritual of the Nacierma could be compared to our own bathroom experience. This is a private practice of ours also. The ”holy mouth man” could be equated to a dentist, the person that we entrust with our oral hygiene health. We do not however, place any religious practice with the act of good or bad oral hygiene. We are educated enough to know that cavities are formed from poor hygiene and sugars, not evil spirits. We also live in a status based society where the wealthy may live at a higher quality than the poor. In Nacierma culture, the wealthy had a better structure of shrine than the poor. And could afford to go and see the medicine man, while the poor will die attempting to pay for the care. Status is the same way for the wealthy in America. We do however; attempt to live in an equal society of the sexes, races and economic class.
We live in a democracy; I do not believe the political and economic system in this society is a democracy. I believe it’s more of a dictatorship. The people mentioned in the reading seem like they’re being forced to undergo the unusual rituals to fit in with their own society. Although the rituals performed are supposed to cleanse and be for the better of the people involved, they still seem forced upon the people. If it were a