Overview

The word comes from the Tongan tapu or Fijian tabu, meaning “forbidden” or “sacred.” Captain Cook brought it to English in 1777. In Polynesia, it referred to things (like the chief’s head) that were charged with spiritual power (mana) and dangerous to touch. In modern anthropology, it refers to any strong social prohibition—incest, cannibalism, eating pork, or saying certain words.

Core Idea

The core idea is order. Mary Douglas, in Purity and Danger, argued that taboos are not about hygiene (e.g., “pork makes you sick”); they are about maintaining conceptual categories. Dirt is just “matter out of place.” Taboos protect the boundaries of society. Things that are ambiguous or cross boundaries (like bodily fluids, or animals that don’t fit into clear categories) become taboo.

Formal Definition

A strong social prohibition against words, objects, actions, or people that are considered undesirable by a group, culture, or society. Breaking a taboo is often considered repulsive or abhorrent, not just illegal.

Intuition

Why is incest the most universal taboo? Not just because of genetics (ancient people didn’t know about DNA). But because it confuses social roles. If you marry your mother, is she your wife or your mother? Is your daughter your sister? It destroys the structure of the family. The taboo keeps the categories distinct.

Examples

  • Food Taboos: Jews and Muslims don’t eat pork. Hindus don’t eat beef. Americans don’t eat dogs. These define “us” vs. “them.”
  • Menstrual Taboo: In many cultures, menstruating women are considered “polluting” and must be secluded. This reflects anxiety about blood and reproduction.
  • Linguistic Taboo: Swear words. Words related to sex, excretion, or religion are often forbidden in polite society because they touch on powerful, dangerous, or private things.

Common Misconceptions

  • It’s just superstition: Taboos often serve practical functions (e.g., protecting resources, preventing conflict), even if the “spiritual” explanation seems irrational.
  • We don’t have them: Modern society is full of taboos. Try walking into an elevator and facing the back wall. Try asking a stranger how much money they make. Try joking about death at a funeral.
  • Pollution: The spiritual/social stain acquired by breaking a taboo. It often requires a ritual of purification (washing) to remove.
  • Sacred vs. Profane: Durkheim’s distinction. The Sacred is set apart and forbidden (taboo). The Profane is the everyday.
  • Mana: The supernatural force that makes something taboo. It is like electricity—powerful but dangerous if handled without insulation (ritual).

Applications

  • Marketing: Breaking taboos (shock advertising) grabs attention but risks backlash.
  • Public Health: Overcoming taboos (e.g., talking about condoms or mental health) is often the biggest hurdle in health campaigns.

Criticism / Limitations

  • Rationalization: We often try to explain taboos scientifically (e.g., “pork causes trichinosis”), but these explanations usually fail to account for the emotional intensity of the prohibition.
  • Control: Taboos are often used by elites (men, priests) to control others (women, commoners).

Further Reading

  • Douglas, Mary. Purity and Danger: An Analysis of Concepts of Pollution and Taboo. 1966.
  • Freud, Sigmund. Totem and Taboo. 1913.
  • Frazer, James. The Golden Bough. 1890.