Taboo Subject Research Articles

Language Choice and Cultural Context: A Case Study of Taboo Words and Expressions in Nimo Speech Community

This paper investigates language choice and cultural context by studying the use of taboo words and expressions in the Nimo speech community. The objectives of this research were to explore the Nimo cultural norms, values, and beliefs by investigating the attitudes of the Nimo speakers with regard to the use of taboo words and euphemistic expressions and various contexts where the use of certain words and expressions are tabooed in the speech community. It describes the main reasons why they use taboo words and discuss some sensitive topics such as sex and death etc. This study advances some explanation on the social and psychological aspects which influence greatly the individuals' employment of language with the age and sex restraints. It also aims to test their attitudes regarding the use of taboos in mixed-sex groups. To achieve the objectives of this study, three research questions were developed. The design of the study was a descriptive survey. The Speech Act Theory of Austin 1962 was used as the theoretical framework for the study. The target population for this study was 18,428 indigenes of Nimo in Njikoka Local Government Area, Anambra State, Nigeria. A simple random sampling technique was used to select 12 respondents for this study. The oral interview was used to elicit information from the respondents. The data for this study were analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Quantitative data from the respondents were analyzed critically. Qualitative data from journal articles, books, magazines, and newspapers were explored and used in this study. The findings of this study reveal that Nimo speakers have distinct attitudes regarding the use of taboos and euphemistic expressions. There are many reasons behind the use of taboo words by the speakers and they do not discuss taboo topics in mixed-sex groups. This study recommends that students should be exposed to related Igbo programme(s) on radios and televisions. Both schools and homes need to be brought together so that the application of cultural values to daily lifestyle may be a reality. Igbo language teachers must serve as good instruments and be prepared to utilize their skills in helping their students achieve a high degree of proficiency in the Igbo language. Keywords: Language choice, cultural context, taboo word, euphemism DOI: 10.7176/JLLL/90-02 Publication date: July 31 st 2022

Exploration of love, sex, sexuality, infidelity and power-dynamics in the novels of Shobha De

Novels of Shobha De are an important contribution to contemporary Indian literature. She is known for writing about contemporary Indian society and its various taboos. Her novels often explore themes of love, sex, and sexuality in a frank and explicit manner, challenging traditional Indian values and norms. This has garnered both praise and criticism from readers and critics alike. The works have been criticised by some for their explicit sexual content and portrayal of women as sexual objects. The praise has been for the frank and honest depiction of the lives of the urban elite in India and the exploration of the taboo topics such as sex, infidelity, and power dynamics. The sexual mania of the commercialised world has been explored explicitly. Her characters are often depicted as being obsessed with sex, power, and money, and their pursuit of these desires often leads to destructive consequences. Conservatives in India may criticise her for her open discussion on sexual matters, but her fiction has got tremendous response from all over the world including several European countries. She is best known for her depiction of socialites and sex in her works of fiction, for which she has been referred to as the "Jackie Collins of India."

Site-Specific Author's Drama

The article discusses the role of the playwright in contemporary site-specific drama and the role of the director of site-specific performance. The study aims at three main areas: the author’s drama based on the recent history of the 20th century; the performative potential of the commonness and of oral history; and contemporary site-specific drama. As a playwright, the author focuses on the memories of witnesses and socially taboo topics. As a theatre director, she examines approaches for transforming into theatrical language the memory of place, the collection of data from oral history and burning issues. She looks at the relations between playwrights and site-specific performance. She observes the links among the topic, communication means and non-theatrical places. This qualitative longitudinal art research is based on experience from theatre practice, analysis and comparison of theoretical knowledge. The author gives examples of authorial plays and reports on their productions, specifically stating these dramas: Midnight in the Borderland (3. /4. 5. 1950, a monastery), Three Chairs (Alzheimer’s disease, a retirement home), From Majdalenka to Madla (World War II, cellar), Hotel on the Corner (1932–1989, old theatre building). The study emphasizes the need for a creative and attentive approach by the author, playwright, dramaturg and director to create a whole new world from the duality: ordinary and taboo. It turns out that the combination of a strong theme, an unusual place tied to the topic of the drama, and the participatory role (active/passive) of the audience can be an effective strategy and even “tactic” in strengthening the role of the author in drama after the year 2000.

Regulating Homosexuality in Soviet Russia, 1956–91: A Different History, by Rustam Alexander

How did the Soviet authorities approach the problem of homosexuality after Stalin’s death? In this rich and insightful investigation, Rustam Alexander looks at the ways in which Soviet experts and officials confronted the issue of same-sex relations in a range of social settings. The post-1953 Soviet social landscape was in flux: Stalin’s forced-labour camps (the ‘Gulag’) were being scaled down and reformed, while leaders opened a range of legal, social and economic questions to fresh inquiry that stimulated new voices. As Alexander demonstrates, homosexuality was one of the questions that de-Stalinisers under Khrushchev and neo-Stalinists under Brezhnev contended with, if mostly behind closed doors: it was not the totally taboo subject of common perception, but one that troubled penal officials, pedagogues, medical, juridical and police experts. This well-written monograph is divided into five chapters that illuminate specific Soviet debates about male and female homosexuality, based on official archives, published and unpublished studies, and private professional archives. Alexander’s resourcefulness in assembling these materials from Russian state, institutional and private collections is extraordinary, and the novelty of these sources makes the book essential reading. Alexander applies four major lenses to his analysis of these materials to make significant interventions in the history of sexuality and in Soviet histories.

PERBANDINGAN SISTEM HUKUM INDONESIA DENGAN THAILAND TERKAIT LGBT DALAM PERSPEKTIF HUKUM POSITIF

In Indonesia, LGBT itself is still considered a very taboo subject. In the positive law of the Criminal Code, there is no LGBT legality. Indonesia is a country based on law, meaning that every action taken must be based on the law that regulates it. In the Criminal Code, it regulates material criminal acts in Indonesia. Criminal law is a whole set of rules that determine what actions are prohibited and included in criminal acts. Criminal rules related to same-sex relationships are regulated in Article 292 of the Criminal Code in the form of a threat of 5 years in prison and there is no legal regulation that explicitly regulates LGBT. Unlike the case with Thailand. Thailand is one of the countries that legalize same-sex marriage. The existence of the LGBT group in the country has received a response and tolerance from the community.

Papyrus to Pad: An Evolution of Menstrual Products

Personal care items for women that are used during menstruation, vaginal discharge, and other body functions involving the vulva and vagina are known as feminine hygiene products. There are several products for women during menstruation to keep them feeling comfortable and dry. Choice of products depends on the cost of the product, convenience of use, traditional beliefs, and availability. Menstrual hygiene products such as sanitary napkins or towels, tampons, panty-liners, menstrual cups, menstrual sponges, and period panties are some of the products that may be utilized. Because the vagina naturally flushes away bacteria, feminine hygiene products that are supposed to cleanse may cause allergic reactions and irritation. The review is based on secondary sources available in esteem journals and web pages. The evolution of menstrual products has been a long pathway. Nowadays, these products are more user-friendly, which increases women’s freedom and ability to work. However, it also carried specific health-related issues. Because menstruation has been a taboo subject from ancient past till today’s life, it is critical to begin talking about periods and the products used by women. Knowing more about the materials used products is a step toward achieving both menstrual hygiene’s, and it will also help avoid health-related issues and maintain environmental sustainability.

Sleepers Spacing Analysis in Railway Track Infrastructure

Sleeper spacing has been a taboo subject throughout the railway’s history. Safety concerns related to the structural integrity have been the main causes of not addressing this matter. There are no specific and clear recommendations or guidelines in relation to this matter and the distances do not go more than 0.8 m. In order to go beyond this current situation, the following research paper analyses the influence of the spacing between sleepers on the behaviour of ballasted tracks by performing a dynamic simulation with finite elements in two dimensions for different track configurations, different elements, geometries, and separations within the frame of the ODSTRACK project. The variables studied are the vertical displacements, the forces and stresses on the most important elements of the superstructure, as well as the vertical accelerations in the sleepers and the train. The values obtained from the numerical simulations were compared with the maximum permitted values according to the guidelines. To limit this distance to the most restrictive variable among those analysed, it is necessary to make important assumptions, such as the permissible values and effective support contact areas between the sleepers and the ballast. The preliminary analyses carried out shed light on a possible increment of the spacing between sleepers’ axes up to more than 0.8 m. This suggests that important savings in railways construction costs can be achieved, and they will help to develop the next stage of the ODSTRACK project.

Assessment of sexuality among women in Morocco

IntroductionHaving a healthy active sex life is essential to maintain good physical health and offer the possibility of establishing moments of mental well-being. Until now, not many studies have addressed this health aspect in our context, while problems related to intimate relationships remain one of the most frequent causes of consultation in psychiatry.ObjectivesThe objectives of our study are: to assess sexuality among Moroccan women, analyze their sexual behavior with an epidemiological description, determine their sources of information, and identify the potential causes that could lead to lower their libido.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study with around hundreds of women in the general population using the female sexual function index (FSFI), associated with a questionnaire that includes age, place of residence, origin, marital status, number of children, profession, social status, age of first sexual experience, details of different sexual practices, sources of information related to genital life, the means of contraception and the presence of comorbidities.ResultsPreliminary results show a limited understanding of sexuality among women of low socioeconomic status. Women with a high level of education are more fulfilled and this is due to the ease of access to information and care. Depression contributes greatly to lower libido and marital conflict.ConclusionsSexuality remains today one of the most taboo subjects in our country and more among the female population. Hence the need for sex education begins with self-knowledge, understanding of different practices, and psychological support for all women from a young age toward enduring a healthy flourishing sex life.DisclosureNo significant relationships.

Is There A Future For Europe?

At a time when the European Union and the world were discussing green agendas and combatingt the climate crisis, the war in Ukraine brought notions and principles that Europe had long since buried out of the depths of history. Suddenly, taboo subjects like defence and nuclear energy are back on the table. Does this Europe really have a future?

Providing Mental Health First Aid Training to Hatzola

AimsHackney is home to the largest Charedi Orthodox Jewish community in Europe. According to the Census 2011, 7% of the population of Hackney are Charedi. Hatzola is a non-profit, volunteer organisation established in 1979 to provide pre-hospital emergency medical response and transportation to acute hospitals at no cost, to those living in and around the North London Charedi community. Given the large Charedi population served by Homerton University Hospital it is a common occurrence for psychiatry liaison staff to work side by side with Hatzola in delivering care to those in mental health crisis. Our aim was to create and nurture a professional relationship between Homerton University Hospital Psychiatry Liaison Service and Hatzola ambulance. We wanted to gain an understanding of the perception of mental illness within the Charedi community, and identify issues faced by members of Hatzola when working with those with mental illness. We wanted to identify the learning needs of Hatzola around psychiatric illness as well as increasing confidence within team members when called to manage mental health crises.MethodsWe scheduled an initial meeting with Hatzola to gain an understanding of their service. We used questionnaires to ascertain their level of knowledge on managing mental health patients. We set out to provide teaching sessions to address Hatzola's learning needs.We designed interactive teaching sessions based on providing mental health first aid, discussing case studies, considering the legal framework around emergency mental health. We ensured coverage of working with both adults and children with mental health difficulties. We delivered these teaching sessions in person over four consecutive weekly meetings, with the sessions being recorded to serve as an educational resource.ResultsWe gathered qualitative evidence reflecting the impact of our intervention. We were able to compare levels of confidence among Hatzola members before and after our teaching programme.ConclusionOur training programme was well received by Hatzola, and it was an excellent opportunity to develop links with members of the community.We have learned that mental health is a taboo subject for members of the Charedi community, and have identified a need for more support to Hatzola in coping with the emotional toll working with mental health patients can take. There may be scope for providing further training on developing reflective practice and more emotional support for Hatzola members in future.

Late to the Party: Mental Health Professionals’ Knowledge on Party Drugs and Harm Reduction Advice

AimsKnowledge of illegal substances has long revolved around addictions in psychiatry training and not of party drugs or harm reduction. Reasons for this could include it being a fairly taboo subject, and it being an area where information and advice change frequently. However, drug related deaths are at their highest since records began, and as our patients use them, it is important that professionals are knowledgeable and can offer sound harm reduction advice. The aims were to establish whether there was a deficit in mental health professionals’ knowledge and understanding of party drugs and harm reduction, to give education on this subject, and to gain feedback on whether it is useful and/or important.MethodsA questionnaire of 10 questions on party drugs and harm reduction was devised using resources from charities ‘The Loop’ and ‘Talking Drugs’. These questions aimed to test general knowledge in this area that would be expected from professionals. The study was carried out using Mental Health professionals (MDT) in a busy South London Trust in November 2019 and March 2020.The questionnaires were given before and after teaching sessions on the subject. Feedback was then collected from the attendees on their experiences.ResultsBefore the teaching sessions, professionals answered 44% of the questions correctly, 48% incorrectly, and 8% were ‘don't know’. However, after the sessions these scores went up to 77% correct, 19% incorrect, and 4% were ‘don't know’. Feedback was extremely positive, with an Addictions Consultant even commenting that she didn't know a lot of what was being taught! Professionals recognised the gap in their knowledge and were keen for more teaching.ConclusionParty drugs and harm reduction knowledge is lacking in Mental Health professionals despite it being commonly seen in our patients. Informed, tailored teaching sessions can help improve this and it seems most professionals would welcome it. In the future it may be useful to include this type of teaching as part of the official Psychiatry curriculum.

Tailoring a sexual health curriculum to the sexual health challenges seen by midwifery, nursing and medical providers and students in Tanzania.

BackgroundTanzania is a country experiencing multiple sexual health challenges, but providers receive no formal training in sexual health.AimThis study aimed to assess (1) what sexual health challenges are commonly seen in clinics in Tanzania, (2) which are raised by patients, (3) which are not addressed and (4) which topics to prioritise for a sexual health curriculum.SettingHealthcare settings in Tanzania.MethodsParticipants were 60 experienced and 61 student doctors, nurses and midwives working in Dar es Salaam. The authors conducted 18 focus groups stratified by profession (midwifery, nursing or medicine) and experience (practitioners vs. students).ResultsProviders identified six common sexual health concerns: (1) Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and sexually transmissible infection (STI) (especially syphilis and gonorrhoea), (2) sexual violence (including intimate partner violence and female genital mutilation), (3) early and unwanted pregnancy (including early sexual debut and complications from abortion), (4) sexual dysfunctions, (5) key population concerns (e.g. lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT); sex work) and (6) non-procreative sexual behaviour (including pornography and masturbation in males and oral and anal sex practices in heterosexual couples). Across professions, few differences were observed. Homosexuality, sex work, masturbation and pornography were identified as taboo topics rarely discussed. Most participants (81%) wanted one comprehensive sexual health curriculum delivered across disciplines.ConclusionA sexual health curriculum for health students in Tanzania needs to address the most common sexual health concerns of patients. In addition to teaching sexual science and clinical care, skills training in how to address taboo topics is recommended. Students endorsed almost all sexual health topics, which suggests that a comprehensive curriculum is appropriate.

‘Chastity? Poppycock!’: Sexuality, Censorship and the Short Story in The Bell

The middle decades of twentieth-century Irish cultural history have often been described in terms of strict social codes, religious obscurantism, sexual repression and excessive censorship that banned any representation of sexuality that threatened the stringent sexual mores in Ireland’s theocratic society. Vehement opposition to both censorship and sexual puritanism came from The Bell, Ireland’s most influential mid-century literary magazine, edited by Seán O’Faoláin and Peadar O’Donnell. Throughout its lifespan, The Bell campaigned for writing that confronted controversial subjects, and was able to regularly publish short stories that engaged with taboo topics such as same-sex desire, illegitimacy, abortion and extra-marital sex. This essay explores the various ways in which writers responded to The Bell’s calls for frank treatments of sexual matters in their short fiction, and suggests that the poetics of the modern short story – which allowed writers to camouflage their subversive content – combined with ineffective legislation for the banning of periodicals meant that short stories in Irish literary magazines were effectively the censors’ blind spot, and thus contributed to the freeing up of cultural attitudes around sexuality that gradually took place in the second half of the twentieth century.
 
 Keywords: The Bell; Irish Short Stories; Sexuality; Irish Periodicals; Censorship; Seán O’Faoláin; Peadar O’Donnell.

A Sontagian interpretation of Love for Life

Abstract Susan Sontag’s discussion and depiction of illness, especially AIDS, in her writings can help us better understand the metaphoric mechanism of illness in the Chinese film Love for Life. As one of the leading metaphors attached to AIDS, plague brings discrimination and prejudice against AIDS patients, whether they are to blame or not. Moreover, due to demonization, AIDS patients suffer from social death even when they are still alive. Love for Life challenges the taboo subject in China and makes an appeal that the body should not be treated as the vehicle of metaphors and that we need to break the illness–health dichotomy so as to shake off the metaphors of illness.

Eritreja, moja dežela

The article analyses the representation of distant others in Eritreja photoreporatge, which ran for ten consecutive issues in Mladina magazine between August and November 1988 and is considered to be the most extensive photoreportage ever to be published in Slovene printed media. Multimodal framing analysis, complemented by semi-structured interviews with authors, is applied to examine verbal and visual strategies for construction of otherness. Eritreja’s divergence from dominant news topics on the subject (famine and war) and its positive representations of the distant other are traced to photoreportage’s resonance within domestic political agenda (Slovene struggle against Yugoslav centralisation) and Mladina’s editorial policy (advocating freedom of speech via attacks on Yugoslavia’s public taboo topics).

A Change in Saudi Attitudes From Use of Euphemism to Taboo: A Sociolinguistic Study

For this paper, we studied the use of linguistic taboo words in Saudi Arabian society. Three main taboo topics were addressed in the current study: the use of taboo words in social contexts, the use of taboo sex words, and the use of taboo swear words. A randomly chosen sample of 253 Saudi females from two different age groups participated in the study. A closed-ended multiple-choice questionnaire was used to collect the data. The findings provided considerable insights into the behavior of Saudi society. Saudi society rarely uses taboo words. The strategy people use to avoid using taboo language is euphemism; sex topics, for instance, which may be overtly discussed in some cultures, are prohibited in Saudi culture. The findings also revealed that Saudi society is too sensitive to the use of swear words because they are culturally and religiously prohibited, though they were occasionally used by younger female participants. In general, this study showed that although the Saudi society is a conservative society, the younger generations of Saudi females are moving slowly toward making linguistic changes in society.

The Openness of Film Taboo Theme: Taking La Source Des Femmes as An Example

The Openness of Film Taboo Theme: Taking La Source Des Femmes as An Example

‘I’ve got all these little problems that I’m circling in my head’: Creativity in expert ELT textbook writing

Retrospective accounts of materials development in the applied linguistics literature speak to the relationship between creativity and textbook writing, but this study forges another path by examining how an expert ELT (English language teaching) textbook writer deploys creativity during ongoing coursebook production. Qualitative content analysis of data collected via concurrent verbalization, during which the author thought aloud while producing textbook chapters, pre- and post-concurrent verbalization interviews, field notes, and a diary record revealed the creativity that characterized her work at both the process and product levels. Creativity ultimately helped her navigate the publishing constraints in place for her project, including appropriateness controls (e.g. taboo topics), and maintain her focus on learning, teaching, product usability, and publication goals. This study reveals how creativity impacts textbook production during unfolding writing sessions, making an empirical contribution to the research field of materials development. It also provides a view of the constraints associated with commercial publishing, showcases the operations of a skilled author, and demonstrates the usefulness of concurrent verbalization to materials development research: contributions relevant to ELT practitioners interested in textbook production.

Sexual violence as a predictor of unintended pregnancy among married women of India: evidence from the fourth round of the National Family Health Survey (2015\u201316)

BackgroundSexual Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a public health problem globally, with about one in three women experiencing sexual IPV ever in their lifetime. Unintended pregnancy is one of the consequences of sexual IPV and has its repercussions that can span generations. The present study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of sexual intimate partner violence (IPV) and assess the association between sexual IPV and unintended childbirth in India among married women aged 15–49 years.MethodsThe National Family Health Survey-India (NFHS-4) fourth-round dataset was used for the present study. Pregnancies intention was the primary outcome variable, and the main predictor variable was self-reported sexual IPV in the past 12 months. Women’s current age, age at marriage, education and occupation, place of residence, wealth quintile, parity, religion, caste, region, mass media exposure, and husband’s education were other control variables. Weighted analysis depicted the prevalence of unintended pregnancies and their association with different socio-demographic variables. Binary logistic regression was done in two steps respecting a hierarchical approach for potential confounders.ResultsApproximately 6.4% of study participants had ever experienced sexual IPV in India. Prevalence of sexual IPV was significantly higher when the age of marriage was < 19 years, among uneducated, in the lowest wealth index quintile, belonging to scheduled caste, having multiparity, and not having mass media exposure. About 12.1% of pregnancies were considered unintended by the respondents, and 22.9% of women who ever had a history of sexual IPV considered the last pregnancy to be unintentional. Women who experienced sexual IPV were in younger age groups, having parity ≥1, and bigger families had significantly higher odds of having an unintended pregnancy compared to their reference groups.ConclusionsWe observed that sexual IPV has a significant role in unintended pregnancies. Effective counseling means should be rolled out for victims of sexual IPV as it is a taboo subject. The significant factors that can predict unintended pregnancies highlighted in our study should be acknowledged while counseling.

Family planning demand generation in Rwanda: Government efforts at the national and community level impact interpersonal communication and family norms

Between 2005 and 2020, total contraceptive use among married women in Rwanda increased from 17% to 64%. The aim of this study is to better understand how the Rwandan government's mobilization and demand generation efforts have impacted community norms and interpersonal discourse surrounding family planning. Eight focus group discussions with family planning providers and 32 in-depth interviews with experienced modern contraceptive users were conducted in 2018 in the two Rwandan districts with the highest and the lowest contraceptive prevalence rates. Results suggest that outspoken government support, mass media, and community meetings were valuable sources of information about family planning. Information received through these channels generated interpersonal dialogue about contraceptives through both conversation and observation; however, rumors and misinformation remained a significant barrier to use. A once taboo subject is now normative among married couples. Continuing to address common fears and misinformation through communication channels such as mass media and community meetings may help to further increase contraceptive uptake in Rwanda.