Incest Avoidance and the Incest Taboos

Two Aspects of Human Nature

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Anthropology
Cover of the book Incest Avoidance and the Incest Taboos by Arthur P. Wolf, Stanford University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Arthur P. Wolf ISBN: 9780804791694
Publisher: Stanford University Press Publication: April 16, 2014
Imprint: Stanford Briefs Language: English
Author: Arthur P. Wolf
ISBN: 9780804791694
Publisher: Stanford University Press
Publication: April 16, 2014
Imprint: Stanford Briefs
Language: English

Why do most people never have sex with close relatives? And why do they disapprove of other people doing so? Incest Avoidance and Incest Taboos investigates our human inclination to avoid incest and the powerful taboo against incest found in all societies. Both subjects stir strong feelings and vigorous arguments within and beyond academic circles. With great clarity, Wolf lays out the modern assumptions about both, concluding that all previous approaches lack precision and balance on insecure evidence. Researchers he calls "constitutionalists" explain human incest avoidance by biologically-based natural aversion, but fail to explain incest taboos as cultural universals. By contrast, "conventionalists" ignore the evolutionary roots of avoidance and assume that incest avoidant behavior is guided solely by cultural taboos. Both theories are incomplete. Wolf tests his own theory with three natural experiments: bint'amm (cousin) marriage in Morocco, the rarity of marriage within Israeli kibbutz peer groups, and "minor marriages" (in which baby girls were raised by their future mother-in-law to marry an adoptive "brother") in China and Taiwan. These cross-cultural comparisons complete his original and intellectually rich theory of incest, one that marries biology and culture by accounting for both avoidance and taboo.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Why do most people never have sex with close relatives? And why do they disapprove of other people doing so? Incest Avoidance and Incest Taboos investigates our human inclination to avoid incest and the powerful taboo against incest found in all societies. Both subjects stir strong feelings and vigorous arguments within and beyond academic circles. With great clarity, Wolf lays out the modern assumptions about both, concluding that all previous approaches lack precision and balance on insecure evidence. Researchers he calls "constitutionalists" explain human incest avoidance by biologically-based natural aversion, but fail to explain incest taboos as cultural universals. By contrast, "conventionalists" ignore the evolutionary roots of avoidance and assume that incest avoidant behavior is guided solely by cultural taboos. Both theories are incomplete. Wolf tests his own theory with three natural experiments: bint'amm (cousin) marriage in Morocco, the rarity of marriage within Israeli kibbutz peer groups, and "minor marriages" (in which baby girls were raised by their future mother-in-law to marry an adoptive "brother") in China and Taiwan. These cross-cultural comparisons complete his original and intellectually rich theory of incest, one that marries biology and culture by accounting for both avoidance and taboo.

More books from Stanford University Press

Cover of the book Competition and the State by Arthur P. Wolf
Cover of the book Adaptive Action by Arthur P. Wolf
Cover of the book Architects of Austerity by Arthur P. Wolf
Cover of the book The Neuro-Image by Arthur P. Wolf
Cover of the book The Physics of Business Growth by Arthur P. Wolf
Cover of the book The Italian Legal System by Arthur P. Wolf
Cover of the book Racialized Identities by Arthur P. Wolf
Cover of the book Secret Cures of Slaves by Arthur P. Wolf
Cover of the book Chinese Money in Global Context by Arthur P. Wolf
Cover of the book The Latino Threat by Arthur P. Wolf
Cover of the book Organizing Organic by Arthur P. Wolf
Cover of the book We Are All Migrants by Arthur P. Wolf
Cover of the book Ronald Dworkin by Arthur P. Wolf
Cover of the book Stasis by Arthur P. Wolf
Cover of the book Mark Twain in China by Arthur P. Wolf
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy