Taboo Research Articles

Tragic Agency and a Final Rubicon

Author believes that this book is about exploring what happens to a city, a society, the Soviet system when subjected to extreme shock, such as hunger, starvation and siege. Jeffrey Hass looks at how the Soviet system was “tested” by these events, making the case that the Blockade is a “better case” than Stalingrad or the defense of Moscow for understanding the war, duress and survival. The book discusses cannibalism as a prism into the book’s approach and findings. It looks at the breaking of the severe taboo and how people were torn between survival and sympathy, egoism and altruism, cooperation and opportunism in the midst of the “dictatorship of the stomach” and “food psychosis”. It shows how consuming human flesh was seen as the extreme on a continuum of norm-breaking in terms of what was considered food. Jeffrey Hass explores the authorities’ handling of cases of cannibalism, the prevalence and punishment of the phenomenon, as well as the symbolic dimensions of the transgression. It looks at the voices of people who violated the taboo, and the mercy they asked for. The book is ultimately about the heightened agency people were forced to take in the face of death, and the tragic decisions they made in order to survive.

Negotiating the boundaries of the politically sayable: populist radical right talk scandals in the German media

ABSTRACT The breaking of speech taboos by populist radical right (PRR) parties and the resulting talk scandals have received considerable attention, with provocative statements being seen as playing a central role in generating media attention and in shifting the boundaries of what is sayable. In Germany, breaches of taboos by the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) have caused public outrage, with some claiming that the AfD follows a deliberate provocation strategy. This study examines the reactions to the AfD’s breaches of taboos as they play out in mainstream media. Focusing on reactions to five of the AfD’s most controversial statements, the study analyses 340 articles from the daily quality newspapers Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Süddeutsche Zeitung and Die Welt. The analysis zooms in on identifying (1) reactions to the taboo-breaking statements and how the boundaries of the respective taboos are being negotiated by the AfD and its critics, and (2) reflexive discourse on the role of breaches of taboos in the AfD’s political strategy and on the role of the media in responding to them.

The place of African belief and germ theory on the causes of human diseases

This study looks into the African belief about the mystical causes of diseases and the tenets of Western germ theory. Despite widespread Western medical practices, African people still strongly believe in the mystical causes of diseases. This reveals that as far as the African traditional belief is concerned, Western germ theory cannot satisfy the African belief in the causes of diseases. This is as a result of some of the diseases defying Western healing. The study adopts a qualitative phenomenological research design and descriptive method for data analysis. Personal interview forms a primary source of data collection while the secondary source includes library resources. The study observes that some mystical agents in African cosmology, such as witches and sorcerers, ogbanje, and breaking of taboos are responsible for untimely deaths, infliction of diseases to humankind and other related ailments which are believed to be traditional in nature.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The study recommends that hospitals and healthcare centres, within and outside Africa, should take into consideration the mystical agents as well as the pathogenic agents for good and efficient healing.

Psychological ailments and their treatment protocols: a case study of Swati traditional healers in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa.

Evidence suggests that South African traditional healers (THs) treat various mental complaints. However, there is little literature on Swati THs' accounts on this subject. The current study therefore, sought to address this gap. Data was gathered using qualitative research methods, namely semi-structured interviews with 10 purposely sampled Swati THs practicing in the Kanyamazane peri-urban township (Mpumalanga Province, South Africa). Data was thematically analysed. Results showed that THs treat seven psychological aliments, viz. adjustment disorders, depression, mental illness due to ancestral calling, mental illness due to bewitchment, mental illness due to breaking of taboos, psychotic disturbance and substance induced mental illness. Generally, an integrated treatment protocol was utilised by THs to treat and manage these disorders. Most of these procedures are acceptable from either folkloric or scientific viewpoint, and have demonstrated certain level of efficacy in treating mental illness. Taken together, the evidence presented indicates that Swati THs use different traditional methods to manage various mental complaints. In doing so, they carry a large share of the community caseload for mental health, whilst admitting patients in their homes for extended periods of time, and also referring some (patients) for additional care within the Western health sector.

Two-eyed seeing as a philosophy to facilitate communication between traditional indigenous cultural practitioners with psychiatry and other mental health practitioners

IntroductionA communication gap exists between psychiatry and indigenous people about views of mind and mental health, which often becomes an obstacle to optimal care and a source of distrust.ObjectivesWe aimed to explore the utility of the concept of two-eyed seeing for facilitating communication among traditional cultural practitioners (TCP) and conventional mental health practitioners (CMHP).Methods “Two-eyed seeing” is spreading across North America as a metaphor for explanatory pluralism. Albert Marshall, a M’iqmaq from Nova, Scotia, Canada, developed this traditional concept (eptuamptamuk in M’iqmaq) to speak to the idea that indigenous knowledge is as valid as contemporary science for conceptualizing phenomena. We taught the concept to 100 practitioners, equally balanced between CMHP’s and TCP’s, and obtained ongoing feedback about the results of their applying these ideas to their ongoing collaborations. Qualitative research methods were used to evaluate this feedback.ResultsUsing the two-eyed seeing concept allowed CMHP’s to better listen to TCP’s descriptions of their concepts of mind and of mental suffering. TCP’s felt more respected by CMHP’s. While concepts such as spirit visitation, the breaking of taboos, and intergenerational curses are inherently foreign to CMHP’s, the two-eyed seeing concept allowed them to bracket these ideas as interesting and to interact with the TCP in a more productive way, while allowing them to observe the effects of the TCP’s interventions in a less judgmental way.ConclusionsTwo-eyed seeing allowed a rich dialogue between CMHP’s and TCP’s that enabled each to appreciate the other’s perspectives, leading to greater cooperation and collaborative treatment. Outcomes improved.DisclosureNo significant relationships.

이름의 금기문자(禁忌文字) 고찰 – 피휘(避諱)와 불용문자(不用文字)를 중심으로 -

이름의 금기문자(禁忌文字) 고찰 – 피휘(避諱)와 불용문자(不用文字)를 중심으로 -

Perfil de mulheres vítimas de violência sexual no Brasil: antes e depois da pandemia de COVID -19

A violência sexual em mulheres ainda é considerada um assunto cheio de tabus e preconceitos pela sociedade. Sendo assim, a referida violência é caracterizada por qualquer conduta de cunho sexul, sem a permissão da vítima, onde na maior parte dos casos vem acompanhada por força física, pressão psicológica, ou até mesmo grave ameaça. Este estudo tem como objetivo analisar o perfil de mulheres vítimas de violência sexual no Brasil na perpectiva do antes e depois da pandemia. Trata-se de um estudo de revisão integrativa da literatura, do tipo descritiva com abordagem qualitativa. Foram utilizados a base de dados da Biblioteca Virtual de Saúde (BVS), Scientific Electronic Library Online (SCIELO) e Periódicos da CAPES. Por meio dos resultados e levantamentos das informações, verificou-se que a mulher jovem e adulta tem mais probabilidade de ser vítima de violência sexual, outros fatores que podem influenciar a prática desse crime, está relacionado ao estado civil, escolaridade, raça/cor, ingestão de bebidas alcoólicas e a pandemia do covid- 19, pois está agravando essa realidade vivenciada pelas mulheres. Perante o exposto, é necessário haver um fortalecimento das políticas públicas voltadas para o atendimento às mulheres vitimizadas para evitar a violência sexual.

Theorising backlash politics: Conclusion to a special issue on backlash politics in comparison

This conclusion to a special issue on backlash politics develops a proto-theory of backlash politics. The special issue’s introduction defined backlash politics as a particular form of political contestation with a retrograde objective as well as extraordinary goals or tactics that has reached the threshold level of entering mainstream public discourse. While a sub-category of contentious politics, we argue that backlash politics is distinct and should not be understood as ‘regressive contentious politics’. Drawing from the contributions to this special issue, we discuss the causes of backlash politics, yet we argue that the greatest theoretical advances may come from studying backlash dynamics and how these dynamics contribute to different outcomes. We develop a proto-theory of backlash politics that considers causes for the rise of backlash movements, how frequent companions to backlash politics – emotive politics, nostalgia, taboo breaking, and institution reshaping – intensify backlash dynamics and make it more likely that backlash politics generate consequential outcomes.

Conceptualising backlash politics: Introduction to a special issue on backlash politics in comparison

Despite the widespread sense that backlash is an important feature of contemporary national and world politics, there is remarkably little scholarly work on the politics of backlash. This special issue conceptualises backlash politics as a distinct form of contentious politics. Backlash politics includes the following three necessary elements: (1) a retrograde objective of returning to a prior social condition, (2) extraordinary goals and tactics that challenge dominant scripts, and (3) a threshold condition of entering mainstream public discourse. When backlash politics combines with frequent companion accelerants – nostalgia, emotional appeals, taboo breaking and institutional reshaping – the results can be unpredictable, contagious, transformative and enduring. Contributions to this special issue engage this definition to advance our understanding of backlash politics. The special issue’s conclusion draws insights about the causes and dynamics of backlash politics that lead to the following three potential outcomes: a petering out of the politics, the construction of new cleavages, or a retrograde transformation. Creating a distinct category of backlash politics brings debates in American politics, comparative politics, and international relations together with studies of specific topics, facilitating comparisons across time, space, and issue areas and generating new questions that can hopefully promote lesson drawing.

Conhecimento de estudantes adolescentes sobre Infecções Sexualmente Transmissiveis

Este trabalho teve por objetivo: compreender o conhecimento de adolescentes sobre Infecções Sexualmente Transmissíveis (IST) e as formas de prevenção. Estudo descritivo, de abordagem qualitativa, utilizou a Análise de Conteúdo. Pesquisa realizada em uma escola privada localizada no município do Rio de Janeiro. Os participantes foram alunos do ensino médio entrevistados a partir de instrumento semi-estruturado. A técnica de análise foi: pré-análise, exploração do material e tratamento dos resultados, inferência e interpretação. A pesquisa possui o n.° 2.834.899 de aprovação por Comitê de Ética e Pesquisa. Os achados levaram para duas categorias analíticas: (In)Consistência sobre sexualidade, vida sexual e (des)orientações; e Certezas incertas: as infecções sexualmente transmissíveis na perspectiva de estudantes adolescentes. Todos os adolescentes consideram o tema sexualidade como um assunto não dialogado, um tabu, tanto no espaço familiar, quanto no ambiente escolar. Uma experiência caracterizada pela timidez, pelo momento de transição e período de amadurecimento relacionado a adolescência. O estudo conclui que é fundamental fortalecer estratégias de diálogo com os estudantes adolescentes acerca da sexualidade e da prevenção de IST. A escola, além do lar, é um espaço privilegiado para conversas, debates e esclarecimentos que possam propiciar informações de qualidade e escolhas conscientes.

The Power of Bereaved Parent Faculty to Inform Pediatric End-of-Life Education with Standardized Patients

Introduction Caring for a child at end-of-life (EOL) can be a distressing event for pediatric clinicians; this is compounded by the lack of formal training in EOL care and the taboo nature of discussing such an emotionally heavy topic. To address these issues, communication-based simulations can provide relevant and meaningful training experiences. These types of simulations require a heightened need for sensitivity, respect, and authenticity, especially in standardized patient (SP) performance. The lived experience of bereaved parents—those …

The Duration of Life and its Biological Analogy: The Great Taboo

Children, at 4-5 years of age, ignore the idea death, at 7 they associate it with feelings of fear and punishment and consider it reversible, only at 9 do they begin to have rational ideas about it. If we were to make an enquiry, probably around 30% of adults do not fear death, 60% do, and 10% are terrified of it. Moreover, around 70% of the elderly would like to die at home and 30% in hospital. 80% of all seriously ill patients prefer to be told the truth, yet 95% of doctors prefer to hide it from them. In our species, interest in the length of one’s own life starts and develops with the progression of cognitive and social experiences, and is already present in adolescence. This work is a synopsis of some naturalistic and anthropological notions of the phenomenon.

Questioning a Taboo

Questioning a Taboo

“Talking” containers. Visual heterotopias in the picture¬books illustrated by Svein Nyhus

The article discusses picturebooks illustrated by a Norwe­gian artist, Svein Nyhus, to show his specific symbolic manner of depicting the child’s environment. It is argued that the illustrator employs characteristic recurrent elements of home representations and elaborates an interesting interplay of outer and inner spaces, consistently focusing the child’s perspective. This is demonstrated by an analysis of four picturebooks by the Norwegian artist: Pappa! (1998, Daddy!), Snill (2002, Nice), Sinna mann (2003, Angry Man) and Haret till mamma (2007, Mum’s Hair). The books have been regarded as ambitious literature for children, addressing difficult issues or even sometimes breaking a taboo. To show Nyhus’ visual method of thematising childhood’s traumas in relation to a home space is also one of the aims of the paper. The analysis of visual content is carried out with references to the textual narratives, drawing on ideas about heterotopia by Michel Foucault (1984), self-effacement by Karen Horney (1997) and the poetics of space by Gaston Bachelard (1969).

Türk Kültüründe Dağ Kültü ve Dağ Kültüne Bağlı Varlıklar

Efsaneler, memoratlar ve destanlar, bilindigi gibi iptidai donemlerde anlatilan mitlerin birer kalintisi olarak yorumlanirlar ve bu nedenle anlatildiklari milletin dunyayi algilama bicimleriyle ilgili oldukca onemli bilgileri ihtiva ederler. Bu minvalde soz konusu anlatim turlerinin, mitolojiye ait cesitli dunya goruslerini barindirdigi zikrolunabilir. Bilindigi gibi dag kultu, Turkiye ve Turk dunyasi Turkleri icin oldukca onemli pratikleri ve inanislari barindirir. Bilhassa dag kultu etrafinda olusan cesitli yasaklar, dogrudan ya da dolayli olarak cezalandirilma korkusunu da beraberinde getirir. Turkiye sahasi anlatmalarinda gorulen ve dogaya yahut zatina karsi yapilan birtakim saygisizliklardan oturu cezalandirma islevini ustelenen olaganustu varliklar kategorisinde dag kultune bagli varliklar da bulunur. Ayni varliklarin mevcudiyeti Turk kulturunde oldugu kadar dunyada da pek cok kulturde yer alir. Zarar verici, koruyucu veya tabu olarak tasavvur edilen bu varliklar, iptidai zamanlardan gunumuze halkbilimi urunlerinden, inanis, pratik veya anlati duzleminde yasatilmislardir. Bu calismanin amaci, soz konusu cografyada anlatilan efsane, memorat ve destanlarda dag kultune bagli olaganustu varliklari incelemek ve islevlerini, arkaik ogeleriyle birlikte ortaya koymaktir.

Theorizing Backlash Politics

This conclusion to a special issue on backlash politics in comparison develops a proto-theory of backlash politics. The special issue’s introduction (posted separately) defined backlash politics as a particular form of political contestation with a retrograde objective as well as extraordinary goals or tactics that has reached the threshold level of entering public discourse. While a sub-category of contentious politics, we argue that backlash politics is distinct and should not be understood as “regressive contentious politics.” Drawing from the contributions to this special issue, we discuss the causes of backlash politics, yet we argue that the greatest theoretical advances may come from studying backlash dynamics, and how these dynamics contribute to different outcomes. We develop a proto-theory of backlash politics that considers causes for the rise of backlash movements, how frequent companions to backlash politics–emotive politics, nostalgia, taboo breaking and institution reshaping–intensify backlash dynamics and make it more likely that backlash politics generate consequential outcomes.

Play on: The darling of the opera scene, Jamie Barton, and the woman behind a hit refugee orchestra, discuss taboo breaking on stage

Play on: The darling of the opera scene, Jamie Barton, and the woman behind a hit refugee orchestra, discuss taboo breaking on stage

Life’s Too Short to be polite: Exploiting impoliteness and rudeness in Gervais And Merchant’s humour about physical difference

What follows is a qualitative analysis of the use of impoliteness for comiceffect in the British comedy series Life’s Too Short written by Ricky Gervais and StephenMerchant. Because each episode centres on Warwick Davis, an actor with restrictedgrowth, or dwarfism, there is a considerable risk of superiority or disparagement-typecomedy about a taboo subject like physical difference, stigmatized in current Britishculture. In this analysis I set out to show that the authors’ use of impoliteness plays animportant role in allowing them to write comedy centred on this sensitive issue.The starting-point of the analysis is Culpeper’s proposal that impoliteness can beentertaining, which in this case is applied to scripted comedy rather than impromptuor semi-spontaneous examples of impoliteness for purposes of entertainment.Referring to aspects of impoliteness applied to entertainment, and with reference tothe concept of face, and to superiority, incongruity, and relief humour theories, thepaper suggests there are at least six techniques by which the authors use impolitenessto reprise physical difference for a contemporary comedy series.

Backlash Politics: Introduction to a Symposium on Backlash Politics in Comparison

This is the framing paper for a special issue on backlash politics in comparison. Despite the widespread sense that backlash is an important feature of contemporary national and world politics, there is remarkably little scholarly work on the politics of backlash. This special issue conceptualizes backlash politics as a distinct from of contentious politics. Backlash politics include three necessary elements: 1) a retrograde objective of returning to a prior social condition, 2) extraordinary goals and tactics that challenge dominant scripts, and 3) a threshold condition of entering mainstream public discourse. When backlash politics combines with frequent companion accelerants– nostalgia, emotional appeals, taboo breaking and institutional reshaping– the results can be unpredictable, contagious, transformative and enduring. Contributions to this special issue engage this definition to advance our understanding of backlash politics. The special issue’s conclusion draws insights about the causes and dynamics of backlash politics that lead to three potential outcomes: a petering out of the politics, the construction of new cleavages, or a retrograde transformation. Creating a distinct category of backlash politics brings debates in American politics, comparative politics, and international relations together with studies of specific topics, facilitating comparisons across time, space and issue areas and generating new questions that can hopefully promote lesson drawing.

Taboo 18:1 - Full Issue

Taboo 18:1 - Full Issue