The world of today has many different human cultures that enhance understanding of other cultures from a close and distinct perspective. According to Miner (1960), ethnocentrism is viewing your own culture superior to others. In contrary, cultural relativism is considering a different culture from basing on a someone who practices the lifestyle different from your ideas. However, viewing a different culture from your own is somehow hectic from an insider’s view. It is quite challenging to look at a different culture without being judgmental objectively. One must, therefore, use different ways as an anthropologist who conducts research having in mind of two methods: emic and etic perspective. In an emic perspective, one examines a culture from within the culture itself while in an etic, one evaluates the culture by analyzing the ideas of someone else who is not a member of that society. (Miner, 1960). Throughout this essay, I will look at my own culture, the American culture in an outside view and give an emic perspective a foreign culture to my own, Japanese afterlife culture. During this analysis, I will be potentially putting into perspective how other’s view the culture of America regarding marriage and courtship.
Etic perspective
Crapo’s (2013) description of etic models points that each culture is alien to its members. His story facilitates comparisons of diverse cultures. Thus he discovers the universal principle in the functioning and organization of various cultures. Miner (1960) in his article Body Ritual among the Nacirema discusses the etic perspective of the aspect of Nacirema culture. Before having a deeper understanding of the elements of Americans, outsiders may view American as strange and unusual in comparison to other societies. From an etic perspective, the American courting usually starts with two individuals who are attracted to each other. In the courtship, many Americans do not consider race and religion as a priority in the list of the qualities of their partners. Among most Americans, physical look or appearance seems to be the starting point. Usually, majority tries to know each other better through a series of dates where each person asks questions and learn about the upbringing of his/her partner. Through these dates, couples can determine whether they are compatible with the people they seem to be attracted. Besides, the dates determine whether the two people will see farther their relationship or it will be at a standstill.
Additionally, Crapo (2013) says that the dating rituals in America always vary depending on an individual. According to the researchers, dating among most Americans often aims at goal marriage as the end goal since majority marry because of love. Neither do they marry for their families nor status as the Asian countries do practice? However, the process has been a gradual change since 1800’s. During the civilization periods, most Americans married for social or economic reasons. Two different genders would marry from the same society, or social class and courting would happen when the parents of the girl were present. Besides, their families had the final say on the people they would marry as the mother, and the girl’s brothers played a very substantial role in the courtship since they observed the man’s behaviors. A process called arranged marriage was common since courtship had become a forced activity among the young Americans. This was the main reason why the unions in America is unstable, and the divorce rate is so high. Crapo (2013) pinpoints, infidelity and divorce become options among humanity when love fades. The parents often choose the person their kids should marry.
The practice is prevalent in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. The communities in these countries often practice a forceful where children marry others because of love, but rather parents usually like the status. A parent may force his child to marry from a wealthy family just because of wealth. However, in the United States, everyone chooses a person whom they want to date and eventually marry. Most of the Americans base their choice on looks rather than the emotional connection with the other person. With time the American families and neighbors lost influence in the marriage of the couples thus they moved from the traditional view to more modern practice. For instance, during the civil war period, courtship in America was entirely different as most people used poems. Also, the parents gave their children privacy and time to make informed decisions. Men started meeting potential wives in colleges, places of work and even entertainments. However, the changes reached a peak during the Sexual revolution in America till present. Women started taking various responsibilities like incurring the bills and also asking the man out on a date among others.
From the outsiders’ view, the system and changes were quite strange to the Indians. Most Indian families had arranged marriages as their basis and foundation. Many Indian youths liked the method for it helped them focus on other things without worrying much about their partners. Indians argue that unlike the US where you know one’s character first before marriage, in India one marries first then in their process of living, they learn to love. The US idea of determining the compatibility of two people seem to be strange to the Indians. From the perspective of Indians, the American unions seem shocking since Indians often end up in a long and happy marriage, unlike the Americans where divorce is the norm. Marriage in such areas is therefore based on commitment, unlike the US where it is solely reliant on feelings. The US marriage has always been between two submissive adults while in India there are two families are involved. The relationship in the latter is between a girl and the man’s family while in the USA two people develop a liking for the other thus end up in marriage (Crapo, 2013).
The emic perspective of Japanese culture on death
The different phases of development on human and the events that take place at those phases are often termed as the rite of passage. There are many rites of passage in the lifetime of a human being that one must undergo before he comes to the final rite of passage which is death. The rituals surrounding the event of death are no doubt as ancient as civilization itself. Funeral and death rites are essential as they mark the passing of the loved ones and at the same time assist the living in coping with the loss. It can be said that the funeral rite is universally observed and experienced virtually in every culture. However, the funeral rituals are entirely different depending on the culture. The section discusses the Japan rites of passage to death and afterlife. The chapter describes the idea in the emic perspective considering Japanese Mortuary Tradition, the significance of Mortuary rituals and the impacts of Social change on Mortuary Rituals. In the United States, the funeral or death rites are often a one-day affair with no further rites being practiced (Tsuji, 2011).
However, Japan has a different culture from the American one. In the case of Japan, which, might well be considered one of the most traditional societies, the felicitous observance of the funeral rites is a matter of profound importance. The Japanese ritualized the funeral sites not only during death but they also in the afterlife. It might, therefore, mean that the most significant and visceral concern for the Japanese is ensuring that at the time of their passing, someone will take responsibility for carrying out the appropriate funerary rites making the event of death to be an occasion of excellent care. (Tsuji, 2011) Suggest that the lack of rituals in the contemporary western cultures may lead to insufficient healing of the people. Japanese culture marks the aging with milestone birthdays that signify that one is aging towards death as his or her destination. During this exercise, the Japanese elders often perform the high family functions. During this time of agony and grief, the families offer tea and fresh baked cookies at the family altar to honor the spirits of the ancestors. The practice has been part of the life of the Japanese for quite a long time. However, some Japanese also believed in having a regular burial service while others believed in cremation. During cremation, the Japanese produce bones but not the ashes. They believed that this is important since the dead were burned at a lower temperature thus dinner had to follow.
Besides, Tsuji (2011) pinpoints that the sacraments that Japanese did after death acted as a rite of passage to the ancestry. The ceremonies have an order and stages which they had to follow. Every seven days, the deceased family had ceremonies to mourn the loss of the spirit of those ancestors. For instance, Tsuji (2011) says that the forty-ninth ritual day ritual was the “turning point” when the deceased spirit which was believed to be in limbo between the present world and the other worlds, would enter the realms of the dead and become Buddha. The Japanese consider the ancestors are in between the two worlds waiting for a new stage. According to Tsuji (2011), the scene occurred on the fifteenth day. In this service, most people would attend the actual events that happen during with the household of the deceased conducting a considerable part in caring the deceased. The family had the responsibility of ensuring that the dead would be worshipped and not forgotten. Also, the rituals marked the beginning of a new life of the actual deceased. The women and the children also had significant roles through the process of ensuring a proper send off. However, the older men would not participate in the rituals since they have post leading mourners positions at the actuals funeral. To many people especially the outsiders, understanding this rituals and practices on death and after death in quite hard more so on the Japanese culture. Tsuji (2011) affirms that these ceremonies kept the names of the ancestors alive for the coming generations. Also, the rituals held the structures of the surviving families. Tsuji (2011) suggests that the ceremonies have been practiced generation after generation with the current generation tries to keep their customs alive. However, there is an issue with the younger generation since they are not practicing the rituals as their forefathers did.
In conclusion, the paper has deeply analyzed the etic view of the American culture based on their belief in marriage. The Americans have a different view of courtship, dating, and friendship from the Asian and African countries. The cultural relativism in this paper enables to have a deeper understanding of the values and meaning behind the background of the cultural practices of a society. This makes us not to be judgmental or bias. Having the etic perspective of the rite of passage of the Americans have helped us to see the difference in the belief of Americans in comparison with other cultures. Also, the etic perspective has allowed the outsiders to view ideas and points differently. The view enables one to display others’ thoughts on what is normal inside the culture of the participants. On the other hand, emic view on the Japanese culture on the afterlife and death grants the researchers with an opportunity to analyze the cliché and conditional images that are embedded on the minds of various people. This perspective enables one to gain the respect of the individual's values of the practices. Emic and Etic perspectives are therefore some of the critical aspects that anyone should use when analyzing the cultures so that he or she may not be biased.
References
Miner, H. (1960). Body Ritual among the Nacirema. New York, N.Y: Irvington.
Crapo, R. H. (2013). Cultural anthropology [Electronic version]. Retrieved from: https://content.ashford.edu
Tsuji, Y. (2011). Rites of passage to death and afterlife in Japan. Generations, 35(3), 28-33.
