Why do taboos exist in society

But what are the reasons for the creation of taboos by humans? Shouldn't we be open-mind and free to discuss all topics because ignorance leads people to do wrong things?

The traditional role of a taboo is prohibition of an action , not of discussion, but the two are often mixed when the term is used loosely, see e. Gao's study of English "taboo" words.

Volume 3 of a classical comparative study of mythology and religion, Frazer's Golden Bough , is called Taboo and the Perils of the Soul , and freely available online. Freud's Totem and Taboo is now considered discredited by antropologists, although some modern authors see residual value in it. Ellis authored an essay The Function of Taboos , where he argues that taboos play an adaptive evolutionary role and are found even in animal communities:.

That taboo is strictly analogous to human taboos; it is an adopted custom. It is not found everywhere among birds. When men first visit Virgin islands of the southern seas there are birds who do not regard human beings as taboo. The taboo is introduced later when human beings have become destructive to the bird society. It is, of course, completely unnecessary to be aware of the reason for the taboo, and if birds ever acquired speculative minds they would invent reasons.

That is, as we know, exactly what human societies do. We know that they will allow us the same or nearly the same degree of freedom and privilege that they claim for themselves. The individual in whom the taboos necessary for such organization are not either automatic or self-imposed is an anti-social individual, and his elimination would be for our benefit The relations among threatened species, their protection, and taboos.

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Western and R. Natural Connections. Perspectives in Community-based Conservation. Many taboos are associated with religion or culture. Some of these tend to be specific to particular countries, including both developing countries and fully developed nations. Certain bodily functions are considered best done only in private. Doing them in front of other people can be viewed as taboo.

Most important, where capacity to enforce external conservation rules is limited, informal institutions may provide the only effective regulations. Informal institutions should receive greater attention from conservation biologists so that local people's conservation roles can be acknowledged fairly and so that potential synergies with conservation objectives can be realized. Abstract Informal institutions governing the use of wild species are present in many societies.