Abstract This paper looks at several theories of the social and familial causes of incest, primarily in western patriarchal society. The paper also examines the social and cultural taboos against incest and briefly discusses some of these theories. Predominant factors believe to contribute to incest are emotional and social imbalances in the perpetrator and other family problems as well as socioeconomic status.
From the Paper "Incest is a very difficult subject for many people, because of the social taboos that it forces us to address, and often because of fears and past history many people have had. Some scholars believe that there are concrete biological arguments against incest, and that the social and cultural taboos against incest reinforce these biological imperatives. For these reasons it is important to understand what the social contributors to incest might be and why they can be so traumatizing to an individual and a society. The development of incest taboos has been linked by such authors as Seligman and Levi-Strauss to the advancement of societal norms that allow for better functioning family groups which are in turn necessary for the advancement of the larger society (Vander Mey & Neff, 1986, p. 24). "
Abstract This paper identifies the key social and psychological consequences of incest, as well as physical problems encountered by children and adults. The paper focuses on the long-term psychosocial effects of incest, including impact on a child's sexual development, depression and suicide ideation.
From the Paper "According to Tharinger, both knowledge and theory about the impact of sexual abuse on the developing sexuality of children are meager. This is due in part to the fact that child sexual abuse and childhood sexual..."
Tags:incest, child sexual abuse, psychological disorders
Abstract This paper looks at a case of incest. Having the strength to survive and to carry on with life is discussed in this paper. The writer discusses what kind of counseling and therapy is appropriate for the victim. The writer looks at the victim, who now wishes to confront her mother and father for the incest she suffered at the hands of her grandfather. In this case, the writer reveals that the man molested all 16 of his granddaughters as well as his own daughters.
From the Paper "A person struggling with the issues of incest has already lived through the most difficult part of the problem, the abuse itself and having survived against tremendous odds, they are in a position to move on with their lives and put the past behind them. If every survivor of incest has one important quality, strength and with the added quality of understanding what it takes to heal, the strength will lead them to the determination to overcome their past and live for the future. In this case there was ... "
Abstract In this article, the writer discusses that while a wealth of scholars have investigated the role that the incest taboo has played throughout history, no one has ever arrived at a satisfactory conclusion as to why incest continues to both repel and fascinate. The writer maintains that part of the reason is that, despite all the research, the exact origins of the incest taboo cannot be located. The writer notes that while it is believed by some that incest is secretly desired by the vast majority of the population, others claim that it conflicts directly with the laws of nature, and is thus naturally avoided. Thus, the two-fold nature of the incest taboo is established. The writer maintains that the law against incest is a natural one that is rooted in taboos, that spring out of disgust with regards to the act. The writer concludes that this is a persuasive theory, in that it explains why incest continues to be viewed as taboo in human cultures around the world.
From the Paper "While Frazer would also assert, on the psychological level, that disgust prevents people from committing acts of incest, Freud would come to disagree. In his legendary work Totem and Taboo, Freud addressed incest from the standpoint of the Oedipal complex. In Freud's conception of the origins of the incest taboo, in primitive societies, the strongest man of a tribe would possess all of the females in the tribe personally. Eventually, this man would be overthrown by other male members of the tribe, who, jealous of his power and sexual relations with the women, would kill and eat him. They thus had no problem with having sex with women whom their fathers had also had sex with. Shortly after killing the father, however, they would begin to feel guilty. For this reason, they came to form the notion that it was wrong to have sex with one's sister or mother - and enforced this as a rule. Freud feels that people are naturally attracted to the opposite sex of their parents, but prevent themselves from making a move thanks to well engrained social and cultural taboos against incest, as they developed in the scenario above."
Abstract This paper outlines the issues related to incest as a social taboo with reference to the Jewish, Native American and Malagasy cultures. The paper attempts to identify what is wrong with the practice of incest. The paper points out that incest does not have one common level between different cultures and the practice while considered illegal and immoral in some places, may be perfectly acceptable in others.
Contents:
Definition of Incest Modern Prohibition
Jews
Native Americans
Malagasy
Advantages and Disadvantages
American Culture Compared
Conclusion
From the Paper "Modern day society in western culture prohibits marriages within the inner group where the parents are considered to belong to the same genes night trigger genetic defects in their children. Most societies condemn incest or marriage within the same circle especially children from the same parents or brothers and sisters etc. This incest taboo is considered to be too close and might result in genetic deformity. There are few cultures in the world today that condone incest taboo the reason being that modern theories consider the psychological and the sociological effects of such unions are too great to be ignored."
Abstract This paper explains that incest, which is one of the most taboo topics in today's society and has close ties to child abuse, involves sexual relationships between people who are genetically related to one another. The author points out that, in the Middle East, clitoridectomy, the removal of a woman's clitoris, is often performed on a girl by her own mother in response to the rampant pedophilia of the men and thus is a form of incest prevention. The paper relates that incest is often associated with in-breeding and increased rates of birth defects, but some cultures, such as the Pharaohs of Egypt, the royal family of Hawaii and the Hapsburg dynasty of Austria, encouraged inter-family marriage to strengthen their bloodlines and maintain their purity.
From the Paper "It has been proposed that the prohibitions against incest developed as a means to prevent the gene pool from deteriorating. This theory is much disputed, with the arguments against it being backed by the nature of the various prohibitions, which, as stated earlier, often allow sexual relations between genetically related individuals. However, this argument against incest has begun to lose its efficacy through the development of effective contraception. Other reasons for the taboo against incest are based around the nature of the family. Preservation of the family unit and promotion of family wealth/power become the focus around which anti-incest prohibitions are developed."
Abstract 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."
This paper is a reaction and analysis of covert incest, as reported in Dr. Kenneth M. Adams' account 'Silently Seduced: When Parents Make Children Their Partners".
Abstract Referring to Dr. Adams' book, the writer discusses that covert incest should not be confused with overt incest, which is the direct and physical occurrence of sexual abuse within a household. Instead, covert incest is much less direct. The writer describes that it is commonly found in families where one parent does not actively participate in everyday family affairs. In turn, this provides an opportunity for the other parent to feel neglected and to run to one of their children for emotional support. The writer examines how as a result, the child is made a "surrogate spouse" to the troubled parent. In this article, the writer discusses Dr. Adams views on this issue in his book "Silently Seduced: When Parents Make Children Their Partners".
From the Paper "Dr. Kenneth M. Adams, author of Silently Seduced: When Parents Make Children Their Partners, is a clinical psychologist who resides in Michigan. He specializes in working with children and adults who are products of alcoholic or dysfunctional families. He has written articles concerning covert incest, sexual addiction, and adult children. He spends most of his time traveling to different states to lecture and provide consultation in his areas of specialization. In his account of covert incest, Adams describes "the silent seduction covert incest victims experience and its effects on their sexuality, intimacy and relationships."
Abstract This essay examines the various psychological, sociological and evolutionary origin theories and the related ethnographic/ historical observations presented by several anthropologists and one psychiatrist, Sigmund Freud. It also discusses the functions which the incest taboos serve, their apparent universality and their influences on social structure.
From the Paper "Sigmund Freud tried to account for the incest taboo in his psychoanalytic theory of the unconscious. According to him, the son desires the mother creating a rivalry with the father. he must suppress these feelings or earn the wrath of his father who is more powerful than him. The Electra complex places the daughter in rivalry with her mother. Freud's theory can be viewed as an elaboration of the reasons for a deep seated aversion to sexual relations within the family."
Abstract Examines whether support group treatment for children sexually abused by family members is the appropriate treatment of incest. Discusses characteristics of support groups & the group process. Outcomes. Symptoms and needs of the incest survivor. Types of support group treatment. Refers to many studies on the topic. Conclusions.
From the Paper "Sexual abuse of children by family members continues to come to the attention of mental health professionals as does the exploration for the most appropriate treatment of incest. This paper investigates the question as to whether support groups may offer the most effective modality for treatment of incest victims. An introduction to the problem, characteristics of support group treatment of incest victims, the group process, outcomes of support group treatment of incest victims, and conclusions will be included in this presentation."
Abstract This paper explains that incest ranks as the most abominable of sexual offenses, especially since it often involves abuse of minors and often is one of the best-kept secrets within a family. The author points out that victims are often blamed within their families and obtaining a conviction through the courts is a long and tedious process; however, relatively recent laws in Montana, Canada and Washington State are now condemning the rapist in these cases of incest. The paper stresses that victims are affected for the rest of their lives with a variety of behavioral disturbances such as eating disorders, prostitution, frigidity and sometimes unwittingly encouraging incestuous behavior in their own families; nonetheless, recovery is possible with work with professional help, often at least two years of psychotherapy.
From the Paper "Within families, many simply try to get rid of the products of such taboo unions through abortion, adoption, or abandonment in children's homes, once again punishing the innocent rather than the culprit. In some nations, despite the universality of the taboo nature, in cases of incest young female victims can expect to be thrown out of their family's home without any means of support while their adult attackers are given all time and leeway to sell their property and organize a living for themselves elsewhere."
Abstract This paper compares how Genesis 12 and Genesis 20 treat the subject of incest. The writer notes that one of the most taboo topics, even in our own society, is the question of what constitutes incest. The writer then relates that in Genesis, this topic is addressed not once, but twice, in Genesis 12 and Genesis 20. These incidents in the life of the patriarch Abraham (Abram) and his wife Sarah (Sarai) are, like other significant episodes in the first book of the Pentateuch, told and retold, virtually right after one another in ways that are similar but with some critical differences in plot and tone. The writer maintains that these two different versions of the same incident of the life of Abraham and Sarah are used to shed new light upon the meaning of the same anecdote. The writer concludes that although it has the same plot of the sister-as-wife, Genesis 12 is more interested in showing how God will intervene to protect Abraham on earth, and to show this is a demonstration of God's plan for Abraham to be a father of Israel. Further, the writer maintains that textual resonances with the later Mosaic covenant take predominance over character development, or even explaining basic details of the plot, like how Pharaoh understands the relationship between the husband and wife.
From the Paper "Abraham believes that as a woman, Sarah's life (still Sarai) will be protected although very likely she will be violated, if the two of them are known to be married. He fears his own life will be at risk. But if the two are taken to be unmarried strangers, the Egyptians will be less hostile to them as foreigners. He anticipates her resistance to this idea (as it may still put her chastity in danger) but begs her to do so, so his soul might live. Abraham seems to make a plea that this is a God-fearing thing to do by invoking the soul, rather than merely asking his wife to engage in a potentially immoral deception to save his life.
"Interestingly, in both versions of the incidents, Abraham is not blamed for his deception by either his wife, the man he deceives, or the Lord, even though it places Sarai's life at risk, not his own."
Abstract This paper reviews and critiques the Gayl Jones novel "Corregidora" about the incestuous entanglement of the Corregidora women. The paper addresses and analyzes the social problems of sexual slavery and black slavery, which led to the collapse of the Corregidora family. The paper begins with a discussion of incest and the ways in which Aristotle claims that it destroys society by destroying the building block of society, the family. Then, the paper discusses the ways in which this collapse of the family is indicated by Jones' seemingly confusing use of pronouns, voice and tense.
From the Paper "Corregidora is all about collapse. Characters are collapsed onto one another, narrative is collapsed onto flashbacks, and language itself is collapsed and becomes chant-like, repetitive. The crime of incest in Corregidora, in addition to the horrors of sexual slavery, go cheek by jowl with the topos of collapse. If one is to follow Aristotle in his thoughts on society, one would concede that with disorder in the family there automatically follows disorder in the state/society. The reason for this is because man is a social animal and so anything that people do to shut themselves off from the world is unnatural and destructive. Incest is one of the worst types of shutting off from the world because it takes the family (the so-called building block of society) and turns it inward. In essence, incest is a collapsing inward of the family. Should it surprise us, then, that the Corrigedora women, victims of incest, are portrayed in such a way that collapses their identities?"
Abstract This paper is written as if it is an investigation by a state legislature's Criminal Justice Committee into a law that reads: "Any person who knowingly engages in sexual intercourse with a person other than his or her spouse, if that person is related by consanguinity or affinity, shall be guilty of the felony of incest and punished according to the laws of the state."
From the Paper "As a member of this state's legislature, and more specifically its Criminal Justice Committee, it is my duty to study and alter laws that have either become outdated or that are inherently unfair. The legislation needing examination, in line with the theme of laws prohibiting consensual sexual relations among adults, deals with the uncomfortable topic of incest. Yet, as with many problems not pleasurable to deal with, this important law has great ramifications, and one that deserves an update. The law in question states that: Any person who knowingly engages in sexual intercourse with a person other than his or her spouse, if that person is related by consanguinity or affinity, shall be guilty of the felony of incest and punished according to the laws of the state."
Abstract This paper argues that contemporary critical perspectives on the sexual politics of Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" can be expanded by exploring the theme of incest in the play. Although there is no literal incest in the play, erotically charged relationships between brothers and sisters structure the themes and plot of the play and remain unresolved at its end. Using the work of Freud, Judith Butler, and Marjorie Garber, the paper argues that "Twelfth Night" suggests a revision of the psychoanalytic theories of incest.
From the Paper "Arguments about the destabilization of desire and identity through cross-dressing are important ones. I would like to add to this discourse, however, by proposing that the sexual politics of Twelfth Night might be much more radical than has been widely recognized by queerly-inclined critics. Twelfth Night is a play that begins with two women consumed, excessively, by grief for their dead brothers, a play whose most touching and "believable" representation of love is that between brother and sister, a play whose desires can only be channeled into normative heterosexual order through an intricate reassigning of positions and replacement of a sister by a brother and a sexual love by a (supposedly) familial one: in short, it is a play structured and driven by incest."
