taboe

Taboe is a term used in Dutch to describe a social prohibition governing what may be said, done, or even touched within a group. Taboos are not fixed laws but culturally ingrained rules that reflect shared values, identities, and fears. They regulate behavior by defining certain topics, persons, or practices as off-limits or sacred, often with informal sanctions such as embarrassment, ridicule, or social exclusion for transgression.

The word taboe derives from the English taboo, ultimately from Polynesian tabu (tapu), meaning forbidden or sacred. In many societies, taboos operate alongside formal laws and religious prescriptions. They can be moral, ritual, dietary, sexual, or related to death, ancestors, or impurity. Taboos are dynamic: they change with times, context, and social groups, and what is taboo in one community may be ordinary in another.

Taboos serve to maintain group cohesion, signal boundaries, and prevent harm or offense. They are reinforced through education, religious ritual, censorship, and peer pressure. Violations are often met with sanctions ranging from mild interpersonal discomfort to formal punishment. Because taboos are embedded in culture, they may experience gradual erosion during social change, or intensification during periods of anxiety or identity consolidation.

In modern plural societies, taboos can be contested and renegotiated as norms evolve around issues such as sexuality, religion, and race. The rise of global communication and social media can challenge traditional taboos by exposing different norms, while some taboos persist or proliferate in response to perceived threats. The study of taboos remains central to anthropology, sociology, and cultural studies as a lens on power, values, and social order.