Question: Incest Taboo Reflection Do incest taboos exist in your culture? If so, how did you learn about these taboos? In your culture, which relationships would be considered to be "incest"? Cousins? Second-cousins? Great aunts/uncles? Adopted siblings? Very close family friends? In your culture, why is incest forbidden? What are the results of incest? Can you think of any historical examples of societies where incest was not forbidden? Explain. What would Mary Douglas say about incest taboos? (Hint: consider the dichotomy of clean/dirty; what is considered to be disgusting is considered to be immoral). Take a functionalist approach. What is the social function of an incest taboo? Is there a biological function of the incest taboo? Identify another way that human sexuality is not based purely on biology. Consider marriage laws in the United States. If you can legally marry your cousin, will you consider doing it? Use this concept to explain the difference between a law and a social fact.