The Nacirema activity showed me that it is easy to misunderstand the idea of culture, depending on how it is described. Although my students were confused and shocked while reading, the cultural rituals (going to the doctor, seeing a dentist, washing their faces, etc.) are actually quite familiar to them. The author of this article chose to describe these rituals using language that made these familiar habits seem foreign and weird. This shows me that culture can be easily misunderstood.
With this in mind, culture is an important topic to learn about. Understanding my own personal cultures helps me know what is important to me and my ancestors. It shows me what I value, how I think and guides my behavior. Understanding other cultures helps me better understand why people act the way they do and believe the faiths/ideas that they believe in. Culture helps inform why the world is the way it us. In this way, understanding culture could help us solve problems around the world.
