This term means that a strict prohibition is imposed on any act, manifestation of feeling or behavior. It also translates as "sacred". In this sense, the term was used by the Polynesian tribes. The word is actively used in sociology, psychology and everyday life.
Taboo - what does this mean?
This set of rules in antiquity existed in almost all tribes and nationalities. He helped establish the basic laws in society. In many cultures, two words are used to describe what taboo means:
- Sacred.
- Forbidden.
Taboo - where did this word come from?
Initially, it was used by the Polynesian aborigines. With his help, standards of communication and life were established. To understand what the word taboo means to a resident of the Polynesian tribe, scientists conducted research. They showed that for a typical aborigine this is the strictest ban on the commission of certain acts and the manifestation of disapproved feelings in society.
What is a taboo in social studies?
The meaning of the word will be the same - the punishment for breaking the rules. The scientists found out that the complete taboo was imposed by secular authorities and religious figures for their own enrichment and suppression of other members of society. The basic veto concerned questions of a dwelling, means and property of the given people, challenging their right to submission of fellow tribesmen.
What is taboo in religious cults and for secular power:
- Enrichment at the expense of other people.
- Preservation of the right to power and property.
Taboo among Muslims
The word haram is used in this culture. It means all the same veto. To put a taboo (haram) for Muslims can only be a religious minister, based on sacred books and norms. In Islam, there are:
- Haram zulmi . Violation is harmful to another person.
- Haram gayri-zulmi . Ignoring is harmful only to the offender.
What does it mean to impose a taboo?
Initially, the meaning of using the veto was simple. A shaman or a person vested with authority set standards, determined what actions were allowed. The rules were laid down that could benefit members of the community, the leader or the priest. Often outside the norm, it also turned out that it promised a person who determined their loss of status or financial situation.
Modern people use this phrase to describe everyday situations. In common parlance, the taboo of a person is a situation where someone fundamentally does not perform certain actions himself or requires it from others. The rule in this case is composed by a person on the basis of his beliefs and ideas. To understand what meaning a veto acquires in the modern world through the eyes of a man in the street, one can consider an example. A husband or wife requires that the partner completely stop the relationship with a certain person. As a punishment for violation, the threat of divorce often appears.
Types of taboos
Specialists distinguish 4 types of this phenomenon. The separation occurred on the basis of the functional component and the content part of the established rule. Prohibitions are taboo:
- Magical .
- Religious , established a minister of worship.
- Anthropological - help maintain the social order.
- Psychological . For example, in many cultures incest is not permissible. That is, they establish norms of behavior for family members, they also affect the sexual sphere.
Primary types of taboo known to mankind
Ethnographers discovered these data by exploring Polynesian societies. The first taboos that appeared there are:
- To intimate relationships between children and parents.
- To eating certain foods.
- To the property of priests and secular power.
Freud - totem and taboo
This scientist considered in his writings the origin of morality and religion. The totem and taboo according to his studies and works are:
- Creation of psychological and moral attitudes.
- Regulating relationships through fear and worship before the divine.
Arguing that such a taboo according to Freud should also be mentioned that he singled out this system as a mechanism for creating rules in society. The totem for him is nothing more than an object of reverence. The author considered this phenomenon obsolete and obsolete. A number of psychologists disagree with this statement, saying that totemism has changed the form of expression, but still exists.