Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
Brent Sweany
“Koobecaf Ethnography”

The mysterious and often puzzling culture of the Nacirema, first discussed by Horace Miner has again, begun to confound and bewilder Anthropologists across the land, as the Nacirema display an obsession with a relatively new ritual in the Nacirema homeland known as “Koobecaf”. “Koobecaf” is a ritual among the Nacirema of magical proportions allowing all members of the Nacirema tribes across the lands to stay connected with one another on personal and professional levels. Bringing a great sense of belonging and ease of life into the Nacirema Culture. “Koobecaf”, however, has begun to evolve as a ritual all across the Nacirema lands in order to ease its specific rites and allow the less intelligent members of the Nacirema society to perform its ritual in a clean, efficient manner. This evolved form of “Koobecaf”, official known as “Koobecaf-Wen” is being pushed upon all of the Nacirema, with very mixed results. Those among the Nacirema who have been performing the “Koobecaf” rituals from its emergence into the society are unhappy with “Koobecaf-Wen” and displaying a highly interesting level of activity among the Nacirema, who have, generally been a very apathetic culture. Curiously, despite the growing number of Nacirema dejected by “Koobecaf-Wen” the ritual is still being performed daily, sometimes numerous times a day, by a large percentage of the Nacirema, even those unhappy with the changes will still participate in this curious, some even say, addictive, ritual.
The Social Structure of the Nacirema Culture, has, undoubtedly been affected by the popularity of the “Koobecaf” ritual, allowing many among the ritualistic Nacirema to form social and political connections while still retaining their highly prized individualism and privacy. The core values of the Nacirema Social Structure are often reinforced and enhanced through the use of “Koobecaf” for example, many among the Nacirema have found love, the Nacirema’s most highly prized Social Status. Among other Nacirema values reinforced by “Koobecaf” are communication, and connection with others, while still allowing the Nacirema to retain their very important sense of individualism. Among those unhappy with “Koobecaf-Wen” most feel confused and betrayed by “Koobecaf” because their individualism has been diminished and displayed for all “Koobecaf-Wen” users to see.
The Nacirema, despite their tendency to live clumped together in almost intolerably large and packed villages, highly value their privacy. Many of the Nacirema believe that “Koobecaf-Wen” violates their privacy by allowing all those performing the “Koobecaf” ritual to view the many and various ways others are performing the ritual almost instantaneously. This large and growing faction among the performers of the “Koobecaf” ritual have taken to loudly complaining to all who will listen about how terrible “Koobecaf-Wen” is and insisting, in loud, belligerent tones that all performers of the ritual return to their old ways of the original “Koobecaf”, despite such a thing being nearly impossible by the total and complete integration of “Koobecaf-Wen” into Nacirema society.
Our review of the Nacirema culture and its reliance on ritual, in particular that of “Koobecaf”, now officially known as “Koobecaf-Wen” may soon take an interesting turn as many among the Nacirema rise up to rebel against “Koobecaf-Wen”. Can the Nacirema break from their reliance on this most peculiar of rituals? Or will they conform and get used to “Koobecaf-Wen” as the creators of the ritual have assured them that they will. Only one thing is for sure, that “Koobecaf” will live on as the most important ritual in the Nacirema Social Structure, connecting all Nacirema to each other in many ways and forever changing the lives of many Nacirema.