Chad Cain
Intro to Anthropology
9-20-08

Koobecaf: The Popular Phenomenon Among Nacerima



The Koobecaf culture is very diverse and worth studying for an ethnography. The Koobecaf society is very similar, yet different from the Nacirema society. One can understand how Koobecaf has become so popular with the Nacirema by examining the superstructure, the social structure and the infrastructure of this popular phenomenon.
The superstructure of the Koobecaf is group and social orientated. They can look at personal ads for dating or find a friend in another part of the world. There are groups to whatever they want or need, from political groups to celebrity fan club groups. These groups can let them still be an individual but satisfies their need for socialization. Their homepages can be customized to reveal their personalities or mannerisms. The dating ritual seems to be a little different yet somewhat the same as Nacerima. A lot of times, the individuals of Koobecaf do not see or really know the person before a date is established. Yet, they do meet them in social settings by online messaging, wall posts, and group membership which can also reveal their likes, dislikes, and possibly their physical appearance.
The Koobecaf people are very social. Their social structure is one of much complexity and is the most important to them. The social network can be rather large and extensive. Several friends can be made a day through a mutual friend or through a club or group. Unlike the Nacerima which have a much slower way of finding friends, which includes leaving ones house and usually actively searching for companionship. The Koobecaf can look and befriend literally thousands of people every day without physically moving from where they are at. The networking of old friends they have is very fitting to them. Many of their friends live in different locations and they have a system of finding them and keeping in touch with them. They can also, over this vast space, let their friends know how they are feeling or what they are doing at that particular time very quickly. If they want convey more thoughts to their friends a messaging system exists that allows them to have a conversation with some one not next to them. They can also share photos of events in their lives that are important. To attract more friends they have the freedom to customize their home information and photos to whatever they may want it to look like or be.
The infrastructure of Koobecaf is one of much commercialization. There are advertisements all over the place to try to sell various items to the inhabitants within the Koobecaf society. Citizens within the society can receive advertisements from international corporations and businesses. The Koobecaf can also produce advertisements, such as producing advertisements for someone to live with them. In addition, many individuals will advertise social events. They stage events on calendars and can invite people to these events with much ease. They can also select which language they want to read their dialog in.
This peculiar society of the Koobecaf is well worth studying for ethnography. When one looks at their superstructure, social structure, and infrastructure they can see how they organize and co-exist with one another. It is clear how Koobecaf has become so popular with Nacirema because one can see reflections of the Nacirema culture within Koobecaf.