grgr (34): taboo

[Lorentzen / Nicklaus]

 "... as a matter of fact he was going to ask about the rocket and everyone 
knows it, but the subject is under a curious taboo, and ... (735)


 "t a b o o,  [1] in ethnology and cultural anthropology term for a at the same 
time religious and moral-legal institution mainly in archaic societies, which as 
a strict prohibition, norm etc is an important structural element in these 
societies. meant are eating prohibitions, rules not to touch or even only 
look at certain things or human beings, to perform certain acts at certain 
occasions.  

[2] general term for social regulations, which prohibite certain acts with an 
especially heavy penalty provided by law.

[3] in the psychoanalytical debate term for a learned, mostly religious 
prohibition on side of the individuals to do something, their unconsciousness 
drives them to."

(m.o.p.a.t. from w. fuchs-heinritz et. al. (eds.): lexikon zur soziologie. 3. 
auflage, opladen 1994: westdeutscher verlag. page 667)


 kfl