Incest Taboos

Question: I'm writing a paper on the incest taboo and whether or not it is universal? Any ideas of people, studies, or writings to include in my paper? My thesis is that the incest taboo is universal. I plan on using the Westermarck Effect a lot. Any other ideas? Also...I'm writing this paper and connecting it to the theme of incest in the novella Morpho Eugnia...if that helps. I should clarify. My thesis is that almost every society has some sort of incest taboo. I know that in no way are the incest taboos of different societies the same.

Answer: They're not totally universal. You can look up Dwight Read, he's an anthropologist and teaches at UCLA. He's written a lot on the subject. Incest taboos differ from culture to culture and religion to religion. Some culture, it's not okay to marry your cousins whereas in others it'd be okay if, for example, it's your cousin from your father's brother. Some religions it's okay for the priestly lineage to marry siblings. The biological basis of it can be found probably from Read as well, or the book "Sex, Evolution, & Behavior" by Daly and Wilson.

Question: Did religious freaks create the incest taboo? Ever since I was a child, I've wanted to have sex with pretty much every member of my family. I think most people feel that way. It feels so natural, and like everything natural, Christianity and Jebus freaks hate it. The weird thing is, incest was practiced by nearly every culture in history, including the early Christians, so why do Jebus lovers now consider it 'wrong', even though early Christians didn't. Also, do you think Jebus worship is responsible for the pseudo-scientific myth that incest is a bad thing?

Answer: No, the deformed children and mental scaring are what made it taboo.

Question: Do you think incest between consenting adults will ever be legalised? In Australia? Just a little explanation... Genetic sexual attraction (GSA) is sexual attraction between close relatives, such as brother and sister, who first meet as adults. The effect is also seen between cousins. GSA may occur as a consequence of adoption, when the adopted children knowingly or unknowingly encounter biological relatives. Although this is a rare consequence of adoptive reunions, the large number of adoptive reunions in recent years means that a significant number of people are affected. It is generally highly distressing to both parties, as this sexual attraction is contrary to their socialized sexual and moral structures (the incest taboo). When children are raised together in early childhood, this effect is reversed by a form of imprinting known as the Westermarck effect, which results in reduced sexual desire between the siblings. - Wikipedia What do you think? Contributing factors... Several factors may contribute to GSA. People commonly rank faces similar to their own as more attractive, trustworthy, etc. than average. Heredity produces substantial physical similarity between close relatives. Shared interests and personality traits are commonly considered desirable in a partner. To see the complete article visit... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_sexual_attraction

Answer: It could be, I know it might be in USA

Question: How does the INCEST TABOO apply to first cousin marriage?

Answer: Go down to BlockBuster and rent the movie, "Deliverance". Look closely at the kid with the banjo. THIS is what happens when people with the same genetic material produce a child. Siblings, first cousins: Too many matching traits, and some of them really awful, to be in reproduction. People who share the same grandparents, and produce young are at a greater risk of producing children with birth defects, both internally and externally. Cousins could produce a child with heart defects, if one of the grandparents that they share had a heart defect. Etc. Besides, who would want to even think about a cousin in a romantic way? Outrageous!

Question: My cousin and I 'fooled around' when we were younger. Some would regard this as 'incest'. What is the opinion? I was about 9 and she 8. I've read up about this and many children are sexually curious at a young age and 'role-play' on their siblings or cousins. There was no penetration just nakedness and touching. This is not abuse as it was entirely consensual but it makes me feel uncomfortable talking about incest or taboo subjects as i feel like a hypocrite. Discuss?

Answer: you were kids, you were curious and experimenting nobody abused anyone, and its a pretty common occurance... and i wouldn't call it incest since you didnt actually have sexual intentions while doing that (it would be different if you were 15-16 and were more aware of this sort of thing). so relax, and get over it

Question: Are there any social taboos that exist in every culture in the world? The two biggest taboos I can think of are incest and pedophilia. What are some more and do these taboos exist in every culture or society?

Answer: Murder, incest and pedophilia are probably the most widely dispersed cultural taboos in the world. Obviously, human culture is so diverse there are bound to be oddities in which a taboo is somewhat acceptable in some cultures, but for the most part, these three are the big ones. While murder is SOMETIMES seen as okay when revenge is called for, its still a taboo. For instance, revenge murder is usually only okay if someone else killed a loved one first, or adultery without permission (like in the South American Yagan society). Murder is still a taboo in these societies however, and is only seen as somewhat acceptable in certain situations. Revenge murder can still be considered unacceptable and ignite clan wars among many cultures. Incest is largely a no-no in many cultures, mainly because the strongest, most viable offspring do not come from these sort of unions. There may be many reasons cited for why incest is wrong, but it is almost universally considered taboo. Pedophilia is a huge taboo in many societies (like ours), but not necessarily in others. Young girls are often married off at ages we would consider too young. But for the most part, pedophilia is a major world-wide taboo. These are the major cultural taboos. There are thousands of cultural norms that dictate culture and society, but to be considered a taboo, it must be considered wrong by almost everyone in society, and have strong repurcussions attached to it, such as being forced to leave the society, or punishment by death, etc.

Question: What connection makes social taboos make your body react? We all know the feeling. We read Oedipus Rex and upon the notion of incest within our family (as opposed) to in other people's family makes us violently ill. Our head swiveling to the side, our stomach turning. Or perhaps see a movie where a man has his scrotum punched and our bodies turn inward. Hell even happens when thinking of somebody eating food we hate. What physiological/ psychological principle is at work when our bodies react to personal taboos?

Answer: The brain picks up on things that we were taught that are not supposed to be talked about.

Question: Is mother-son incest more of a taboo in our culture than father-daughter incest? For some reason I've gotten the impression that for centuries, father daughter incest was considered socially acceptable and it hasn't been until the last 30 years or so that the law has finally stepped in to punish incestuous fathers. On the other hand, mother son incest has long been a major taboo in western culture and is considerably less common. Why is this the case? And most of all, why is it considered more perverse than father daughter incest.

Answer: Father-daughter incest has never been considered 'socially acceptable'. What it was was ignored because 'a mans house was his castle' or something along those lines. Basically what a man did in his own house no one said anything about even though they knew it was going on. They still looked down on him he and his family were still shunned, but they didn't do anything about it because he was the master of his own house. Mother-son incest is less reported, and also less believed. There is as an agenda out there to totally hide the fact that women also sexually abuse children. I have been told to my face by counselors that women abusers are so rare that its not really an issue. Women abusers are not rare, reports on them being taken seriously are rare because there is a common thought out there that 'all boys want it any way they they can get it' with the exception being from another male. So if a boy says his mother is touching him inappropriately or worse it isn't taken seriously because 'Hey, boys want it anyway, right?' What usually brings these to light is physical abuse on top of the sexual abuse and even in that case the sexual abuse is usually added on like 'oh yeah she was having sex with him too.' So when it finally does come out, that 'Yes this woman was sexually abusing her son, AND he had the audacity to not like it AND report it.' Then everyone reacts badly, more because 'What were you doing that your son didn't like the sex?' more than the fact that she was doing it in the first place.

Question: If incest taboo is universal how come there are so many porn sites on the internet? sorry people! I should have put the question this way. If incest is a universal taboo how come there are so many incest sites on the internet?

Answer: From Oedipus to Eve you will find countless stories of people being drawn to taste of the forbidden fruit. Stories which suggest terrible consequences for such actions. Nevertheless the lure of The Forbidden wears heavy on the human mind. I do however think you are being a bit heavy handed lumping all pornography under the incest label.

Question: Current theories promote a tri-dimensional view on incest taboo?

Answer: I view it as a black hole. good luck

Question: What is the biological basis for the cannibalism taboo? If there is one, I mean. Other taboos, like the incest taboo have very clear biological roots. So why is cannibalism shunned by most human societies? It seems odd to me that starving or near starving people, which most of us were for most of our history, would simply reject a good source of calories and other nutrients without a sound biological basis. Note: I'm talking about cannibalism only, not murder+cannibalism, or human hunting.

Answer: Cannibalism often results in the transmission of prionic diseases. Besides that, there really aren't any reasons. In fact, I'm currently researching the legality of leaving my rectus femoris to a friend to eat after my death... no joke :)

Question: The Incest taboo needs to be soooo holy, if strong attraction to relatives was not Natural? Which one is more abnormal/abominable to Nature,the taboo or the natural bonding? Which is stronger Love or a taboo? Wouldn't you wish there was no taboos on your love choices/chances,when you lucky enough to feel Love for someone?

Answer: No,the incest is an intercultural taboo to make really forbidden something feared particularly.They didn't know anything about genetics,recessive or otherwise.And aMimals can't "know" better because they don't think,but follow Instincts.As a matter of fact,"Incest"happens among them and is not unusual either,but seldom that repetitive. Among humans -but not in all cultures- is as old as perhaps the Institutionalized sexual relationships,Marriage.A ruling on when and which two members of society can have sexual relationships.In previous societies where family members were bartered as exchangeable commodities to prevent bottling up opportunities of wider social power,families kept forbidden closer ties for their minors.Strange coincidence that when families reached the maximum Power as some royal or imperial dynasties,from Egypt,Rome,and Habsburgs and Bourbonnes to other continents without contacts,like the Incas of south America,the prohibition was not only discarded but even disdained,to keep wealth and Power off limits to gold diggers..Greed and control were always behind familiar tighter bonds,"too dangerous" for a greater Society ever Jealous.... But something stronger have to be hush hushed to keep inferiors afraid to be outcast as "the selfish".They just raise too many fears even among outsiders to the affair,related or not,even strangers. Since the sexual revolution and liberalization of standard marriages,turning more open to the freedom of the Individual and not up to families,other parties or religion to have an over rule,even with the start of families without marriages...or rejecting the gender taboos formerly about it,it should be high time to drop the restriction on marriages or relationships for consenting adults based on family prejudices. Well,if you both in Love,go for it and sorry about the rest that misvalue it in both.Lo,to those who get in between.Celebrate it but in private,until Society grows up more tolerant.

Question: Why is incest considered to be so taboo? Don't mock this question, I have to write a paper on this topic and why it's considered to be taboo.

Answer: It could very well be that the horror of incest is inborn - instinctual. All creatures must avoid brothers/sisters as much as possible when breeding as it's the source of bad genetic offspring. You find incest taboo in almost all cultures everywhere at all times. Oedipus was so bummed out that he was screwing his own mother that he tore his eyes out! And obviously this Oediupus story was a warning to the whole culture of Greece - or anybody else who heard it. THIS CAN HAPPEN TO YOU! Not sure if that answers your question at all. There's a branch of science now called "Socio-biology" which deals with biologically determined behavior - interesting stuff although often misunderstood. You might google that up and see what they say about this incest problem. The only exception to the incest rule which I'm aware of seems to be in kings. It seems that the kings of Egypt were fond of marrying their sisters - as were the Incas of Peru. This is where greed and fear of somebody grabbing your power overcomes the basic incest taboo.

Question: Will incest ever lose the taboo around it? It has been going on for centuries, it will probably continue until eternity.

Answer: No it won't. If you think back 100 years or so, it was considered normal to marry a first cousin - which is now illegal in most states/countries. It's not only morally wrong, but it's a medical issue too! There's no way it will suddenly become acceptable.

Question: Why is incest still taboo even in a time when homosexuality isn't? Everyone still seems to agree that incest is both taboo and wrong even when it's between two adults, so why is homosexuality so much more acceptible? If it's so important to let two consenting adults do whatever they want with each other then why should that only apply to homosexuals? Blueyes, please come up with a better argument than "eew". That's about the most obvious argument that everyone who speaks against it has.

Answer: It's taboo for mainly two reasons. A) The couple is related which can cause genetic screw ups in a baby and B) Incest is often NOT consensual as it is often between an adult and a child. If neither of those two situations are factors it's taboo purely because over the years it's been ingrained in societies minds that it is wrong. It is mostly because of genetic issues with potential offspring. Deep down humans instinct is to breed the best baby possible and breeding with your own indangers that. So society has an ingrained aversion to being with someone you're related to. I think as long as neither of the 2 factors I mentioned are involved it's really a question of your own personal beliefs. I prefer to go outside my family, to explore something new, but others may find comfort in someone familiar. Society is often run on ancient ingrained beliefs it's really a question of what do you think is the right thing.

Question: why can't i connect to incest taboo forums ??is their some prob with the site?

Answer: The operators of incesttaboo shut down the site due to some guys planning the rape of a young girl through there site. They have a new site now. It's called thenewdealstudio.com.

Question: Was incest a common practice in ancient times? I personally am of the opinion that certain undesirable genes(like the ones that encourage cancer, the one for freckles, the one for huge noses)may have mutated due to incest, I mean the taboo against it wasn't as widespread as it is today, or am I mistaken

Answer: It was very common. Many countries or civilizations used it to preserve the "bloodline" or "family." I think it is still more common in this day and age than many would like to admit or consider. And preserving bloodlines has nothing to do with it.

Question: why is an incest taboo so ubiquitous? 1. god said its wrong to have sex with your relatives 2. we are taught by our culture that its wrong to have sex with your relatives 3. evolution endowed us with an ibreeding avoidance mechanism

Answer: I'd say 2, but that our cultures learned it by observation. There are usually good reasons for taboos. It wasn't entirely observed; some Egyptian Pharaohs married their sisters.

Question: Why is incest a common element in manga? This question is not meant to offend but a curiosity. I noticed that a lot, and I mean a lot of manga has an element of incest on it. I know it is just a story but something must be motivating a mangaka to inject some incest or even insinuations of incest. I mean, brothers and sisters falling in love with each other, cousins sleeping together, mother and son, father and daughter and including stepsiblings. In other countries, it is a very taboo topic but it seems like it’s almost a requirement to create a manga. Is incest an element that is expected by the reading public? Are there ‘incest fans’? I have always wondered about this.

Answer: Because they are a fantasy book.

Question: Is Incest A Taboo Everywhere? I know in most countries Incest is a taboo, but is it everywhere? Why is this? I would love your feed back on the topic.

Answer: Incest, yes. But what qualifies as incest varies from society to society. In Sweden having a relationship with your cousin is not regarded as incest, for example.