Cultural Description

Part A

Primal

Without modern civilization, it is only natural for these people to act this way. It is a very primal thing for humans to look for cause and effect, and this is what works for them, it is all they know. Without a reasonable breakdown of why something is the way it is, it is only rational for people to create it themselves.

Ignorance

Ignorance is strength, and if the rituals prove to be working in the eyes of the 'higher-ups', it must work. People want answers to their problems, and since the rituals are accepted by their entire society, it is understandable that they all follow through, even if it is miserable and painful. "The more powerful individuals in the society have several shrines in their houses and, in fact, the opulence of a house is often referred to in terms of the number of such ritual centers it possesses. Most houses are of wattle and daub construction, but the shrine rooms of the more wealthy are walled with stone. Poorer families imitate the rich by applying pottery plaques to their shrine walls."

Worship

Again, people need an explanation for their illnesses and woes. If that means worshiping a shrine with charms, so be it. The magic-men appear to be god-like in the way they are perceived by the civilization, who "... write them (ingredients for potions) down in an ancient and secret language; [t]his writing is understood only by the medicine men and by the herbalists."

Economy

If something costs something, then it has value. The 'hospital' in this civilization requires substantial gifts to give their ritual healing, so people assume it has merit. "No matter how ill the supplicant or how grave the emergency, the guardians of many temples will not admit a client if he cannot give a rich gift to the custodian. Even after one has gained and survived the ceremonies, the guardians will not permit the neophyte to leave until he makes still another gift."

Education

The way people are manipulated is to keep them uneducated, and to portray deep respect for the 'trained' medicine-men who run the latipso, or the 'listeners' who merely act as a psychologist. They are deemed special because they have been trained to do their acts. "[The] ceremonies involve not only the [medicine-men] but a permanent group of vestal maidens who move sedately about the temple chambers (latipso; hospital) in distinctive costume and headdress."

Part B

1. I feel the words I used are not so different than how I would describe religion, the medical field and things of those nature in America. In churches they sometimes persuade people to donate money, whether it be for a good or bad cause; and medical insurance is in many ways similar to the tribe described in the article, you have to pay beforehand and afterward in order to get treatment - which to me seems preposterous in our society - we deserve universal healthcare.

2. I kept this in mind as I read the article, no I don't think I was biased at all. All people are ignorant to some extent. Replace the terms latipso, nacerima etc. and change the context, I would have the same opinions I have about America.

3. I guess I would remove the word primal and replace it with fear in the context of our culture. A lot of our mannerisms and the ways people present their opinions derive from that.

4. Yes I think it is possible to avoid cultural bias with enough education and experience. This is important because, if you are being an ethnocentric, it only leads to judgements, not facts.