Hate Speech
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Free Speech
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As an increasing number of people spend more of their lives on social media, societies around the world are trying to work out what it is acceptable to say when you are online. This is an important debate with strong views on both sides.
What do you think?
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What are Taboos?
A taboo is a strong social prohibition of any human activity or social custom that is forbidden based on moral or religious beliefs. Taboos include the things people shouldn’t do as well as the things they shouldn’t talk about. Breaking a taboo can be considered anything from just objectionable and slightly embarrassing to absolutely abhorrent and disgusting. Some taboos are prohibited under law and may lead to severe penalties, such as, a fine or prison. Most taboos result in embarrassment or shame and maybe the appearance of being rude. |
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Taboos can be found in words, gestures, topics, social and cultural behaviour, body language, fashion, art, food, personal space and more.
Taboos vary from culture to culture and change over time, becoming more or less taboo. |
Taboos in Society
In any society there will be certain topics people will not discuss openly in public situations, and certain behaviors and actions that the majority of people consider rude and objectionable.
No universal taboos have ever been identified, but many have been shared by probably every major culture throughout history. These are usually the most objectionable ones, including things like; incest, patricide and cannibalism.
Taboos change as societies change, so topics such as divorce and homosexuality or illnesses such as cancer and depression may not be as taboo as they used to be. In the United States and some other western countries, people are now more comfortable when they discuss social issues, such as, alcoholism, depression, homosexuality, sexual orientation, divorce, income disparity, personal relationships, pregnancy and childbirth, and unmarried couples.
What words are thought of as acceptable or unacceptable can change quite dramatically over relatively short spaces of time. Certain words that were quite fine in western societies just 20 or 30 years ago would now be considered sexist or racist and lead to some time in prison for the people using them.
Some subjects are taboo in polite conversation because they are fundamental to a persons beliefs and identity. Some issues have become polarizing - meaning that equal numbers of people strongly disagree with each other's opinion. These kinds of issues include; abortion, religion, politics, money, socio-economic class, sexual orientation, racism, sexism, ethnicity, nationality and disability.
No universal taboos have ever been identified, but many have been shared by probably every major culture throughout history. These are usually the most objectionable ones, including things like; incest, patricide and cannibalism.
Taboos change as societies change, so topics such as divorce and homosexuality or illnesses such as cancer and depression may not be as taboo as they used to be. In the United States and some other western countries, people are now more comfortable when they discuss social issues, such as, alcoholism, depression, homosexuality, sexual orientation, divorce, income disparity, personal relationships, pregnancy and childbirth, and unmarried couples.
What words are thought of as acceptable or unacceptable can change quite dramatically over relatively short spaces of time. Certain words that were quite fine in western societies just 20 or 30 years ago would now be considered sexist or racist and lead to some time in prison for the people using them.
Some subjects are taboo in polite conversation because they are fundamental to a persons beliefs and identity. Some issues have become polarizing - meaning that equal numbers of people strongly disagree with each other's opinion. These kinds of issues include; abortion, religion, politics, money, socio-economic class, sexual orientation, racism, sexism, ethnicity, nationality and disability.
Institutional Taboos
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Institutions can have their own rules governing taboos, separate from the rest of society. Governments, universities, corporations, religions, legal systems, the media, the military, professions in education, law and medicine all have separate cultures and their own hierarchy of taboos.
What is considered taboo in the work place will depend on the kind of job you have and the specific rules of etiquette of the institution you work for. |
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Taboos in the family
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All families are different and what is thought of as good or bad behaviour will depend on the personal views of the most senior members of the family.
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Personal Taboos
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These are your own rules of what is acceptable and unacceptable with regards to your own personal interactions with others. More than the others, these kinds of taboos depend greatly on the situation and context. A person at their place of worship on a special day will have a long list of things they won't do, say or talk about. Whereas, a few days later in a social setting of close friends their list will have almost certainly got a little shorter!
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