Anthropology

Essay 2- Naturalized Concepts

By: Tiana Tippetts
A naturalized concept is something from our culture (not scientific) that we believe so much, that we
have internalized the ideas so deeply and we are convinced are true. The ideas may even lead to
physiological reactions that may make us sick.
In my personal experience, an example of naturalized concept is, the more money you have, the more
powerful you are. This may seem vain, and it may be true in most cultures, but I believe so much self
worth is determined by wealth. I, for example, grew up in a poor family and as a child I didnt care or
notice, but as I started attending middle school and high school and I started realizing that other people
had more money than I did and as a result, had more opportunities than I did. I was embarrassed to get
free lunch; I wasnt able to participate in certain activities with my friends, etc. Even as an adult, I feel
insignificant because I dont have good paying job.
Another example of naturalized concept in my personal experience is that you need to have a family be
fulfilled. Not having a family, and, according to my culture, being old at 34, bears on my mental state.
And a third example is the type of people we find attractive. Where did tall, dark and handsome come
from? In my culture, its been deeply imbedded in us that if we are overweight, we are unattractive. If
we are bald, short, are missing teeth, etc., we have been trained to think that this is not beautiful. I
do believe that certain people are attracted to certain people and there may be a biological filter behind
this, but Im talking about the standardization media, and even everyday acquaintances, put on this
idea that we need somehow be perfect.
Natural concepts may put a challenge on culture relativism because, whether wed like to admit it or
not, we have natural instincts or ideas that we believe are true to our very core. We have been taught
that we should brush our teeth at least 2 times a day, if we study a culture who doesnt brush their
teeth at all, we may unconsciously back away when talking to somebody. When we study another
culture, a natural reaction to oppose something we believe in may become apparent. Even if we arent
opposed to an idea in another culture, we have our own ideas that have an impact on the way we react
to whatever the idea is we are studying.