Emerson College American Society Casual Sex and Body Worship Discussion HW Please see the attachment to view this week’s reading presentation. Below, are t

Emerson College American Society Casual Sex and Body Worship Discussion HW Please see the attachment to view this week’s reading presentation. Below, are the questions for the reading response this week:

1. Students’ question: Horace miner’s article mentions the pursuit of breasts and body shape and links it to living a rich life; another article mentions that most women are dissatisfied with their natural figure. Are these body worship facts of human society or constructed “body worship”?

2. Professor question: Can you think of another example of something in American society that is perceived as “normal” and totally taken for granted but, seen from outside perspective could be considered odd or ‘wrong.’ , “Outside perspective” could be another country or just completely blank slate – often I tell my students to imagine they are an alien landing on earth in X country, what would they learn about the culture of that country or our global culture from watching two hours of network TV. “Body Ritual
Among the
Nacirema”
By: Horace Miner
Olivia Bodley and Hannah
Zhong
Summary of Article
Horace miner writes Body Ritual Among the Nacirema in the 1950s. The so-called nacirema is
actually derived from the American alphabet. This article actually is about the cultural norms
in the United States, but he describes the customs and rituals of society in a way that seems
unfamiliar in order to remove the reader from the context of the society. He illuminates
grotesque aspects of societal norms that we would often think to be a common part of modern
society (such as going to the dentist or the hospital). He describes the practice of brushing
one’s teeth as, “inserting a small bundle of hog hairs into the mouth, along with certain magical
powders, and then moving the bundle in a highly formalized series of gestures. He also
describes American society as having “an aversion to the natural body and its functions”. He
talks about general disgust for the body and specifically about unrealistic female body
standards, mentioning that there is a, “general dissatisfaction with breast shape is
symbolized in the fact that the ideal form is virtually outside the range of human
variation.” The article provides an outside perspective for those who are themselves immersed
in the culture.
Media Piece
Article: Women’s Body Standards Throughout the World
https://human.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Gender_Studies/Body_Image/WOMEN%E2%80%99S_BODY_STANDARDS_THROUGHOU
T_THE_WORLD#:~:text=Throughout%20American%20culture%2C%20the%20%E2%80%9Cideal,drastic%20measures%20to%20att
ain%20this.
*Disclaimer: Mention of mental health topics
Summary of Media Piece
This article addresses different body standards, specifically for women, around the world and
analyzes how these standards ultimately cause mental and physical health problems due to
constant comparison and unrealistic expectations. Specifically in the US, the article explains
that the “ideal” female body is small and surgically enhanced. Body standards are enforced
through media sources and are often altered in order to attain perfection. Therefore, these
media images present an ideal that is physically unattainable without the intervention of
plastic surgery. It glorifies an unrealistic standard of beauty, causing many women to become
unhappy with their natural body. The article also explains that in other societies, such as
Nigeria, larger women are considered to be the ideal body type. Overall, the paper suggests
that this idea of defining beauty as a specific body type is harmful and leads to judgement and
comparison. The final line says, “if cultures became more open to healthy body types and
people who were just simply being themselves, society would not have so much trouble in
regards to eating disorders and depression regarding one’s body type.”
How do these two relate?
Horace miner’s article shows us our daily life from another perspective in a unique
way. When we take an observer’s perspective and interpret our life with specific
theories, everything seems strange and absurd. The author uses nacirema’s pursuit
of body beauty as an example to illustrate the absurdity of the existing concept of
body standard. The articles we found pointed out the different standards of
women’s body accepted and respected in different places. Both articles provide
opportunities to jump out of the role of participants to show the customs of a
particular ethnic group.
Question for discuss
Horace miner’s article mentions the pursuit of breasts and body shape and links it to
living a rich life; another article mentions that most women are dissatisfied with
their natural figure. Are these body worship facts of human society or constructed
“body worship”?

Purchase answer to see full
attachment