Author : Wahid Ahmad
The most distinctive feature of the human species has been the immense diversity in culture and behavior. From simple hunter-gatherer societies to complex industrial societies, humans have mastered the art of cultural creativity. Between all this, the incest taboo has remained a universal and enduring aspect of human social organization. The incest taboo is still considered one of the greatest mysteries of human social behavior. The taboo against incest takes on different forms and intensity levels across the world. Is it a biological instinct or a cultural phenomenon? We'll explore different explanations and debunk some common myths. We will find out why the incest taboo is the most rigidly enforced regulation found in all cultures.
Some cultures have a narrow definition of incest that limits it to sexual relationships between parents and children or siblings, while others include any close relatives like cousins or aunts and uncles. The severity of the taboo can also vary, from being a heinous crime in some cultures to being socially acceptable in others. In Japan, for instance, incest is limited to parents and children or siblings, while in many parts of Africa, it includes all close relatives. Some cultures strongly prohibit marriage between members of the same lineage or clan. Within a single culture, the severity of the taboo may vary depending on factors like social class or religion. For example, some communities and caste of India allow marriages between first cousins, while in others, they are strictly prohibited. Similarly, in some Muslim societies, marriages between parallel cousins are encouraged, while in others, they are discouraged or even forbidden.
People debate whether incest is a biological or cultural phenomena. One of the explanations of the universal prohibition of incest is that it is instinctive and has biological basis. However, this idea does not provide a meaningful explanation for the phenomenon. Claiming that an instinctive feeling of revulsion towards incest exists does not account for why societies need to enact laws to prevent it. If the feeling were truly universal and powerful, such laws would not be needed. Furthermore, the fact that different societies have different definitions of incestuous relationships, such as whether marriage with a first cousin is allowed or not, suggests that the instinct theory cannot account for these variations. For instance, it is considered incestuous to marry a parallel cousin in some societies but it is permissible to marry a cross cousin in others. Therefore, the instinct theory fails to provide a comprehensive explanation for the existence of incest taboos.
One possible reason for Incest taboo can be that it promotes outbreeding that means looking for marriage partners outside of one’s own social group. Which seems to be an effective strategy towards reducing the potential negative genetic consequences of inbreeding called inbreeding depression.
The genetic consequences of inbreeding can include an increased risk of genetic disorders and health problems, as well as a reduction in genetic diversity within a population. Inbreeding can lead to the expression of harmful recessive traits that may be masked in a population with greater genetic diversity. This can increase the likelihood of offspring with genetic defects or disorders.
From an evolutionary perspective, the inbreeding theory of incest taboo suggests that humans have developed a natural aversion to incest as a way of avoiding the negative genetic consequences of inbreeding. In other words, the taboo against incest may have emerged as an adaptive response to the risks posed by inbreeding.
IN2
The theory of inbreeding offers a possible explanation for the universal existence of the incest taboo, but the specific reasons for the taboo may differ across cultures, and other factors such as cultural beliefs and values may also influence it. Additionally, some tribal societies may be unaware of the link between sexual intercourse and pregnancy due to their tendency to explain natural phenomena through supernatural agents. As the relationship between sexual intercourse and pregnancy is not self-evident and pregnancy does not always follow intercourse. This claim has been made by some ethnographers, although it has been challenged by others. Malinowski, for example, claims that the Trobriand Islanders denied that copulation has anything to do with pregnancy, not only among human beings but among the lower animals as well. Although this claim has been challenged, the effects of inbreeding can only be understood through complex statistical calculations, which are unlikely to have been understood by our ancestors.
Moreover, if we assume that inbreeding does produce degeneracy and our ancestors recognized this fact, it is unclear why they prohibited marriage with parallel cousins while allowing or even requiring unions with cross cousins, as both are biologically close. Similarly, why did some societies prohibit marriage with clansmen despite the remoteness of the blood tie, while permitting marriages with non-clansmen who were close blood relatives? These questions suggest that there may be additional factors beyond biological relatedness that influence the incest taboo.
IN4
Recent research has provided support for the argument that humans naturally avoid marrying their close relatives. This avoidance is attributed to Westermarck effect, which suggests that a lack of sexual attraction exists between close family members.
According to childhood familiarity hypothesis, the taboo against incest arises from childhood associations and familiarity between family members. Children develop a natural aversion to sexual relations with family members based on their early socialization experiences and the closeness of their family relationships.
The hypothesis suggests that because children are raised in close proximity to their family members, they are less likely to develop sexual attraction towards them as they grow up. This aversion is reinforced by cultural norms and values that emphasize the importance of family harmony and social order, and discourage sexual relationships between family members.
On researching Israeli kibbutzim communities, Spiro noted that children of the same age who were raised together from birth in these collective communities, spontaneously developed an implicit and behavioral aversion to sibling incest. These community centers were overseen by special nurses, and the children became emotionally close like siblings, even though they were not classified as such by the community. Despite there being no social sanctions against it, there have been no reported cases of intermarriage between young adults brought up in the same age group within the kibbutz.
But how does Westmark effect work. Humans have a natural mechanism that helps them avoid mating with close relatives. This mechanism is based on cognitive processes that assess genetic relatedness between potential sexual partners. Facial recognition plays an important role in this process, as people can compare physical cues of an individual's face to a family template to determine relatedness. Studies have shown that having opposite-sex siblings can affect people's sexual attitudes towards individuals who resemble them facially, even if they are unrelated. Phenotypic traits have been studied in humans and animals as cues for identifying kin. Avian species use auditory vocal signals, while similarity in odor is used by both humans and mammals to differentiate between kin and non-kin. But why do we need elaborate social norms for something if we already dislike it.
IN5
Leslie White, a famous anthropologists suggests that we need to look for social and cultural antecedents for understanding Incest Taboo.
The theory of Family Disruption proposes that the primary function of for the incest taboo is to prevent the disruption of family structures and relationships. The theory suggests that incestuous relationships have the potential to cause significant harm to family relationships, and can lead to conflicts and disruptions that undermine the stability of the family unit.
According to this theory, the incest taboo emerged as a way of preserving the family unit by establishing clear boundaries between acceptable and unacceptable sexual relationships. Incestuous relationships were considered taboo because they threatened the traditional family structure and social order, and could lead to a breakdown of the family unit.
The family disruption theory also suggests that the incest taboo serves as a way of protecting vulnerable family members from sexual exploitation and abuse. Incestuous relationships can create power imbalances and lead to the exploitation of younger or more vulnerable family members. By prohibiting these types of relationships, the incest taboo helps to protect family members from harm and promote their well-being.
On the whole, the family disruption theory emphasizes the social and cultural functions of the incest taboo, rather than its biological or genetic consequences. The theory suggests that the taboo against incest serves an important role in preserving the stability and well-being of the family unit, and protecting vulnerable family members from harm.
IN6
In his book "Totem and Taboo," Sigmund Freud presents a dramatic explanation for the origin of the incest taboo. According to Freud, in the earliest stage of human society, a powerful male, the Father, dominated small groups and monopolized all females, including daughters and mothers. As the young males matured, the Father drove them away to prevent them from sharing his females. Eventually, the expelled brothers joined forces, killed and ate the Father, but did not divide his women among themselves as planned. Instead, they pledged to seek mates elsewhere and passed on this pledge to future generations. This gave rise to the incest taboo and the institution of exogamy.
This story may find an analogy in some primates such as Gorrillas, where a single silverback male takes control of all the females and dominates the younger black back gorillas. Philopatry is the tendency of offspring to remain in their natal group or troop. In male philopatry, observed in several species of Old World monkeys, female offspring disperse to other groups when they reach sexual maturity. In female philopatry, observed in chimpanzees and some human societies, male offspring disperse to other groups. These behaviors include mate choice based on genetic relatedness and sexual avoidance towards close relatives. For example, chimpanzees of both sexes will avoid mating with their siblings and other close kin. Macaques will show preferences for mating with non-relatives.
These behaviors have potential of providing insight into the evolution of incest avoidance in humans, although research suggests that philopatry may have other reasons than inbreeding avoidance. The shared pattern of male philopatry and female dispersal in our two closest living relatives, suggests that the last common ancestor of humans and African apes showed this pattern.
The psychoanalytic theory of incest proposes that the incest taboo is rooted in unconscious psychological mechanisms related to the Oedipus complex. According to this theory, the Oedipus complex is a normal stage of human psychosexual development, in which children develop unconscious sexual desires for their opposite-sex parent and a desire to replace their same-sex parent. The psychoanalytic theory suggests that the incest taboo emerges as a result of the resolution of the Oedipus and electra complex.
IN7
Arthur Wolf's study of Taiwanese marriage customs found evidence that a form of sexual avoidance exists between individuals who were brought together as childhood associates and later became spouses due to economic reasons. Wolf rejects institutional explanations for this phenomenon and instead argues for a psychological theories of "reaction formation" and negative conditioning.
Reaction formation is a psychological defense mechanism in which an individual unconsciously replaces an unacceptable or anxiety-provoking impulse or emotion with its opposite. Negative conditioning is a type of learning in which a behavior is reduced or suppressed as a result of experiencing negative consequences or punishment after performing that behavior. These psychological mechanisms can lead to the formation of aversions and avoidance behaviors towards certain stimuli or situations that have been associated with negative outcomes. Wolf suggests that the socialization experience of childhood containment of impulses creates a strong emotional resistance to sexual relations.
Leslie White argues that the idea that incestuous desire is instinctive is unwarranted. A child's sexual desires are not inherently focused on relatives but rather on individuals who are close to them due to proximity and satisfaction. This inclination towards inbreeding is present in sub-human primate families, but in human society, it is incompatible with a cooperative way of life that depends on mutual aid for survival. The tribe that best exploits the possibilities of mutual aid has the best chance of survival. Cooperation is crucial for subsistence and defense against enemies.
IN8
The cooperative organization in human society was initially limited to family groups. However, to extend the scope of mutual aid, cooperation had to be established between families as well. The prohibition of incest played a crucial role in this expansion. Families became units in the cooperative process, and marriages became contracts between families, later extending to even larger groups.
The origin of incest taboos therefore can be traced back to prehistoric societies where they were faced with the choice of either marrying out or being killed out. The alliance theory of incest taboo suggests that the primary function of the taboo is to promote and regulate the formation of social alliances between different families and kinship groups. According to this theory, the taboo emerged as a way of promoting the exchange of resources, such as goods and services, between different families. The alliance theory proposes that the taboo serves to promote the formation of exogamous marriages, or marriages between individuals from different families or kinship groups. By prohibiting sexual relations between close family members, the taboo forces individuals to seek partners outside of their own family or kin group, which promotes the exchange of resources and the formation of social alliances. The alliance theory also suggests that the taboo serves to regulate the distribution of power and wealth within a society. Exogamous marriages prevent the concentration of power and wealth within a single family or kin group, thereby promoting social stability and preventing conflict.
IN9
Affective dissonance theory given by George De Vos argues that sexual attraction is highly dependent on harmony between different emotions. He argued that incest aversion, emerge from a conflict between familial amity, which disposes individuals against aggression, and sexual arousal, which they experience as aggressive arousal. The theory suggested that people who grow up together develop mutual feelings of amity that inhibit sexual attraction. People who live together since childhood lose interest in each other sexually. He thought that this theory could explain why different cultures have different rules about incest.
In conclusion, we can say that, while the reasons for the existence of incest taboo vary across cultures and societies, it remains a universal norm that is deeply ingrained in human behavior and psychology.
Incest taboo is present at two levels one as psychologically driven avoidance and other as a socially enacted taboo. We hope that you found this video informative and thought-provoking. Thank you for watching!