Incest Taboo

Question 1

Incest Taboo

Answer 1

Nearly universal but different
Most restrict sex within nuclear families
Most developed prior to genetic sciences

Question 2

Four explanations

Answer 2

1) Sexual Rivalry (peace in the family)
we want it, compete for it, and fight about it. If it was allowed in the family, it would cause internal problems-keep peace in the family

2) Inbreeding Avoidance
Somewhere along the line people realize this causes a genetic problem

3) Childhood familiarity Avoidance
If you’re raised with someone, you avoid sexual behavior with him or her. The relationship is different

4) Harmful to the kinship group
Goes beyond nuclear family
The kinship has a vested inherit in you crafting relations outside the group. See the social and economic reasons “marry out or die out”

Question 3

Examples

Answer 3

• Naxi: Yunnan Province in China: don’t fit true definition of marriage: women are visited by men: matrilineal: sexual relation
• Himilayas: Tibet/ Nepal: land hard to come by/ fraternal polyandry/ patrilineal/ keep inheritance together / “oldest brother” owns everything

•Nandi of Kenya: pastoral/horticultural group/ quazipastoral: move around/ matrilineal/ women have no descendants
-“inversion” ritual

Question 4

“inversion” ritual

Answer 4

done by the Nandi of Kenya

older women go through processes of becoming socially male/ bride price/ marries younger women/ not a sexual relationship or homosexual/ younger women can have sexual relations with other men (approved by the older woman)/ can participate in male rituals