titled "Body Ritual Among the Nacirema," in which he described some of the bizarre rituals and practices of a little-known tribe -- the Nacirema -- living in North America.Consider this example: "Special women's rites are performed only four times during each lunar month, but what they lack in frequency is made up in barbarity.After long hours of research, I uncovered additional information about the Nacirema's mating and coupling customs, which, of course, piqued my interest given my specialty as a dating coach and columnist.Apparently, the Nacirema women engage in all sorts of peculiar and extreme behavior when it comes to the mating game.' text message, to the point where you start to feel sick or depressed?
When in the courting phase, which often consists of sitting around a long wooden table at the heart of the village, sipping a drink called lohocla (lo-HO-claw) from wooden cups whittled from the rednetrab (red-NET-trab) tree, it is common for Nacirema women to discuss the color of their robes for a tribe wedding ceremony.
As researchers have surmised, it is no wonder why many Nacirema women have trouble finding mates. I'm talking about AMERICAN women -- Nacirema is American spelled backwards.
Though its lessons are many, Miner's paper on the Nacirema was a farcical study written primarily to satirize anthropological papers written about other cultures and to shine a light on the "othering" of cultures.
In an odd and rather sad twist, many Nacirema women have been known to engage in elaborate chants in which they punish themselves emotionally and mentally by putting themselves down.
They sing these songs or chants repeatedly telling themselves how unworthy they are of fellow tribesmen's love.