Incest

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that, although the definitions of incest vary among societies, sexual intercourse is almost universally prohibited between members of the nuclear family who are not spouses and, in most cultures, the prohibition is extend to include grandparents, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews. The most prevalent type of incest is adult-male to child. The author points out that sexual intercourse between adults and their young appears to be rare across the entire zoological kingdom except for human beings. The paper relates that the incest taboo (1) is a mechanism for avoiding inbreeding and genetic abnormalities, (2) is a prevention of sexual rivalry within the family, (3) lessens role confusion within the family and, (4) most importantly, recognizes the complex emotional bonds and power relationships within a family.

From the Paper:

"One of the interesting characteristics of humankind is a prolonged childhood. The time span between birth and adolescence is well more than a decade. An explanation for the extended infertility is the complexity of the social environment that man builds for himself favors a slow development which allows for sufficient mastery of society's intricacies. Accordingly, the lack of early sexual experiences to which a developing child is exposed may generate reproductive problems when the child reaches adulthood."

More papers on Incest:

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• Analytical Essay # 112658 : "Incest Taboos"

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