Reflection on Nacirema and The Danger of a Single Story

The case of Nacirema brings forth an intriguing perspective on the lens through which individuals view other cultures and traditions. Modern cultures, such as America, view themselves as the idealistic representation of a contemporary standard culture. This becomes an issue because they view others that are not as modernized as inferior. Take for example, through media, Western countries are fed the idea that Eastern countries such as India are outdated in a cultural sense. They are viewed as not being technologically advanced and impoverished. However, if you read the likes of authors such as Ninian Smart and Lewis et. al., individuals can grasp the diversity within the people of the Indian culture which is relatively identical to the diversity within the people of America. Take the astounding differences in the types of careers available in India, from being a farmer, to a lawyer, to a call-center associate, these are similar to the vast amount of career opportunities available in North American countries. 

Lastly, The Danger of a Single Story brings into account how pertinent it is for individuals to have the knowledge of all sides of the story to have an informed frame of reference in order to make valid judgments. An exemplification of this statement can be seen when taking into regard the stereotypical beliefs about Mexico, it is thought that Mexico is impoverished, with high rates of gang violence and insufficient amount of resources. However, there is disregard for the abundance of beauty in regard to nature, art, and music. Individuals from North America vacation in Mexico to experience the natural beauty that they cannot obtain in their own countries, however, they still view the people and the country as inferior. There are many successful people living in countries like Mexico and many poor individuals living in countries such as the U.S.A. The information given through one-sided media creates a misleading narrative that takes away from unique characteristics and traditions of a culture and features them as a collective stereotype. 

References

Encyclopedia Britannica (n.d.) Ninian Smart, American Scholar, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ninian-Smart

Lewis, et.al. (1997). The Myth of Continents : A Critique of Metageography, University of California Press.

Smart, Ninian (1999) Worldviews: Crosscultural Explorations, Pearson Education.