Horace Mitchell Miner
Encyclopedia
Horace Mitchell Miner was an anthropologist, particularly interested in those societies of his time that were still closely tied to the earth?. In 1955, he earned his doctorate at the University of Chicago
, going on to teach there, as well as at other universities in the United States, and on a Fulbright Fellowship at a college in Uganda
. He later worked elsewhere in Africa
, and in South America
. He published several books, including Culture and Agriculture (1949), and City in Modern Africa (1967). However, he is equally famous for a satirical essay
entitled "Body Ritual among the Nacirema
", which satirizes American culture from an anthropological perspective.
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
, going on to teach there, as well as at other universities in the United States, and on a Fulbright Fellowship at a college in Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
. He later worked elsewhere in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, and in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. He published several books, including Culture and Agriculture (1949), and City in Modern Africa (1967). However, he is equally famous for a satirical essay
Essay
An essay is a piece of writing which is often written from an author's personal point of view. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. The definition...
entitled "Body Ritual among the Nacirema
Nacirema
Various anthropologists and sociologists have used the term Nacirema to examine aspects of the behavior and society of American people—citizens of the United States of America...
", which satirizes American culture from an anthropological perspective.