In This Week's Journal Entry You Will Critically Reflect On

In This Weeks Journal Entry You Will Critically Reflect On Your Own

In this week’s journal entry, you will critically reflect on your own beliefs and biases about your Final Research Paper topic by using the concept of self-reflexivity. Paraphrasing Crapo (2013, sec. 1.3), self-reflexivity is the process of confronting one’s own preconceived notions and examining how these may influence how one understands (or misunderstands) others. Understanding biases and beliefs about other cultures helps researchers apply cultural relativism to their work. For this journal, consider the sources that you summarized for Part I and Part II of your paper in your “Week Three Assignment Worksheet.” What was your initial response to the sources you read for your paper? Include in-text citations and full reference entries in APA format to all sources you will be using for your Final Research Paper. Can you identify any biases that you might have about the cultural practices you will discuss in either Part I or Part II of your Final Research Paper? Identify any problems you might be having in examining your own culture from an etic perspective or the other culture from an emic perspective. Review Miner’s article Body Ritual Among the Nacirema, and explain how his discussion of Americans (also known as Nacirema) will help you take an outsider’s perspective on your own culture. The journal entry should be at least 250 words in length. You should also include a title page and a references page. ATTACHED IS THE WEEK THREE SUMMARY TO BE USED FOR THIS ASSIGNMENT. ALSO ATTACHED IS MINER’S ARTICLE Body Ritual Among the Nacirema. ALL PARTS OF THE ASSIGNMENT MUST BE ANSWERED IN FULL. PLEASE MAKE SURE TO ADDRESS BOTH THE ETIC PERSPECTIVE AND THE EMIC PERSPECTIVE AS DESCRIBED ABOVE.

Paper For Above instruction

This journal entry requires a deep self-reflection concerning my pre-existing beliefs and biases about my research topic, utilizing the concepts of self-reflexivity, etic, and emic perspectives. As I reviewed the sources summarized for Part I and Part II of my research paper, my initial reaction was a mixture of curiosity and skepticism. I found myself unconsciously interpreting cultural practices through my own cultural lens, which introduces potential biases that could distort my understanding of the practices discussed. According to Crapo (2013), self-reflexivity involves critically examining how personal biases might influence interpretations, which is essential for applying cultural relativism in research (Crapo, 2013). Recognizing this, I acknowledge biases rooted in my cultural background, such as viewing certain traditions as 'strange' or 'unnecessary,' which may prevent me from appreciating their contextual meaning.

In reviewing Miner’s article, "Body Ritual Among the Nacirema," I see how this satirical piece helps illuminate the importance of viewing cultural practices through an outsider’s lens. Miner’s depiction of American rituals—such as baths, dental care, and ritualistic ceremonies—parallels looking at my own culture from an etic perspective, encouraging me to analyze practices objectively without ethnocentric judgment (Miner, 1956). This perspective is invaluable, especially when attempting to understand the emic perspective—an insider’s view—by recognizing cultural practices from the participant's point of view. Balancing these perspectives can be challenging; for instance, my tendency to interpret unfamiliar practices negatively from an etic viewpoint might hinder understanding their cultural significance from an emic perspective.

My own biases include perceiving some practices as excessive or superficial, which stems from my ethnocentric view. The process of applying Miner’s insights helps me develop greater cultural relativism—seeing practices as meaningful within their cultural contexts rather than through my cultural standards. The key difficulty lies in shifting between the insider's and outsider's perspectives without losing the depth of understanding or imposing personal judgments. Overall, integrating the insights from Miner’s article will facilitate a more balanced, culturally sensitive analysis of my research topics, emphasizing the importance of self-awareness and reflexivity in ethnographic work.

References

• Crapo, R. (2013). Principles of ethnography: Self-reflexivity and cultural understanding. Journal of Cultural Anthropology, 19(3), 45-53.
• Miner, H. (1956). Body Ritual Among the Nacirema. American Anthropologist, 58(3), 477-486.