The Incest Taboo in Relation to Social Structure and the Socialization of the Child

The Incest Taboo in Relation to Social Structure and the Socialization of the Child

In analyzing the incest taboo in terms of a balance of forces in the social system, the author examines the structure and function of the nuclear family, the services provided by the nuclear family, to the wider social system, and the psychological characteristics of eroticism whose nurturance and control are the responsibilities of the nuclear family. The incest taboo regulates eroticism, ensuring the self-liquidation of the particular family and the production of personalities capable of performing non-familiar roles. Positively utilized, eroticism is essential both in socialization and in motivating the assumption of familiar responsibility.

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Sociology and Political Science