Ethnocentrism and the Body Rituals of the Nacirema

Ethnocentrism and the Body Rituals of the Nacirema Teaching Slides\nThese engaging slides serve to introduce the concept of ethnocentrism to students. They feature the famous sociological activity "The Body Rituals of the Nacirema," which makes observations about American culture as if it were an exotic tribe, highlighting how strange customs can seem to outsiders. For example, it describes bathrooms as "beauty shrines" to poke fun at how rituals can seem bizarre out of context. Together, the slides cover topics like perspective, addressing ethnocentrism in research and maps, and feature videos and a reading guide. They are designed to be used in various ways - as an introduction in whole or small groups, as a homework assignment, or as the basis for class activities and discussions. The materials aim to help students recognize ethnocentric biases.