The Nacerima Tribe

Five words I would use to describe the Nacerima tribe is Self- conscious, spiritual, traditional, materialistic, and fearful. I would describe them as self-conscious because this tribe believes the human body is ugly. They perform routines to make their breast smaller or larger, or make their weight increase or decrease.They avoid body exposure and the natural functions of it too. I feel as if in some way they are ashamed of what they are born with, but overall it is the pressures in which society makes them feel this way. I would also classify them as materialistic because of the amount of shrines one has in their house along with the appearance of them, and if one is not as wealthy they will also try to imitate the appearance of another wealthy person’s shrine. In addition they are materialistically based due to the fact that they have to pay the custodian a rich gift after having a surgery (if survived).  While reading this article i feel as this tribe judges much on what one has to offer or what a family can provide. This tribe is traditional because certain views are passed down from mother to child. An example is the mother passing down her views is the insecurities of the body and they way it should look like to her child so later down the line in the future she might have to go see the “listener” for guidance and help.  They are traditional in a way that they follow in the way society leads, meaning that they follow what the "holy-mouth men" and the "medicine men" say to do. Fearful is a word I would also use to describe this tribe because they are fearful of the mouth and the capabilities it has to control their life if they do not go see the “holy-mouth men”. They are scared of not having friends and the way the mouth can affect their appearance and life so much that they will endure pain, and put certain things into their mouth to prevent things from happening.They are also spiritual in the sense that they continue to go even though their mouth still decays, and they make sure they see the “holy-mouth men” at least 2 a year.

• As an American, i fell that the five words i used describes the American culture we have very well. As a society everyone holds at least one of the characteristics i described if not more. Traditional and spiritual depends on the person, but for the most part everyone is traditional or spiritual in some kind of way it dosent have to be religiously.
• I dont believe the choices in the words i used to describe the "Nacerima" tribe reveal any ethnocentrism on my part. What i can understand is ethnocentrism, is being judgemental or making hasty conclusions based on the lacking of my own experiences and knowledge. The five words i picked or very rational and reasonable. I believe all my words are free of bias because i have examples from the text to back them up. I feel as if us Americans are fearful in many ways and hold high expectations not only for ourselves but for others so we are fearful or failure. Traditional and spiritual are very much the same in the examples i gave, and i feel as if they are not bias because everyone is either spiritual or traditional in their own way. Self-conscious and materialistic are two words i can possible see as showing some sort of ethnocentrism; just because i am comfortable with my body and they people around me might be dosent mean the "Nacarima" tribe is self-conscious because they dont show theirs. Materialistic can be explained as ethnocentrism because i do not personally thrive off of expensive gifts, dosent necessarily mean the "Nacarima" tribe is materialistic.
• To substitute the two words i could use generous and conservative.
• It is important avoid ethnocentrism judgements because as individual who do not grow up or experience a culture first hand, we create negative statements that get passed  around in society. Respect is given to a culture when being as bias free as one can when describing a culture. It also gives others a opportunity to have a open mind before you put negative words or images in their head. I believe it is not possible to have cultural bias because if you are raised on certain ideas or ways, if you believe them or not, thoughts are going to form when researching on a culture that is different than yours. No matter if you say it or think it, everyone is bias in some kind of way, if your agreeing with a cultures lifestyle or not.