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STUDY UNIT 2: BLOG

My stereotype is based on the rituals and ceremonies that Xhosa men perform and how they believe that by performing they should be referred to as “men and not a boys anymore”.

On the book titled “Body Rituals Among the Nacirema” that was written by Horace Miner (1956), it explains how the rituals and ceremonies were done and also expresses how these rituals were cruel and exotic. I must say these rituals and ceremonies were really harsh and cruel and that’s how I also view the rituals that are performed by the Xhosa tribe what these men go through is bizarre just because of the belief that when you perform these rituals you will no longer be referred to as a boy but as a man.

Growing up I was exposed to a single story the only culture I knew was the Zulu culture and I was also surrounded by Zulu people I was not exposed to other cultures. In my culture young men are not expected to go for initiation to get circumcised in my culture you become a man when you have cows. Since I was not exposed to other cultures, I created a stereotype about the young men from the Xhosa tribe that when they go for initiation it turns them into bitter and angry men, when they return from the initiation they come back as changed men that are malicious.

After I have moved to a different province and I was exposed to different cultures it made me realize that the rituals the Xhosa men perform doesn’t change their character or personality.