Dear Lactnetters,
One of my favorite stories on cultural norms is from Jan Riordan's book A
Practical Guide to Breastfeeding (1991). It can be found on page 303 if you'd
like to read it in it's origional form including references. To summarize: The
Nacirema women deliver their babies in temples (latipsoh). Shortly after birth
they are taken to a separate room in the temple (yresrun) to be cared for by
members of the Gnisrun tribe. Then the rituals begin-a tube is pushed through
the baby's nose to remove gastric content. Then he is given sugar & water to
drink, to fill his stomach. He then takes a long, bumpy journey in a wheeled
cart to be fed by his mother. Nacirema babies learn 2 ways to eat right after
birth.
"The breasts of the Nacirema woman are considered sexually arousing, so they
are kept hidden & bound under cloth until the baby cries to eat. "Only small
portions of the breast are exposed for feeding & only in private. "Some
Nacirema women who have broken this tribal rule have been severely criticized
and even arrested by the tribal police."

Does this sound a little familiar?  Nacirema spelled backwards is American.
gnisrun=nursing       latipsoh=hospital    yresrun=nursery

Gives one a new prospective on cultural norms!!!

Laura Hart, RN, BSN, IBCLC
Winter Park, FL   where I have the TV on & Sally Jesse is interviewing a woman
who is on unemployment yet she has a credit card to charge her plastic
surgery!!!!!!!!!!!