Table of Contents
ToggleWhat Is Family Cooperation Theory ?
What is incest taboo? Incest taboo refers to the universal prohibition of sexual relations or marriage between the members of the same family. Thus incest taboo prohibits sexual relations between mother and son, father and daughter, and brother and sister.
There is hardly any society that permits such relations. There are various explanations for the incest taboo. There is a cooperative theory of incest taboo. Levi Strauss and E.B. Taylor are associated with the cooperative theory of incest taboo.
Cooperation among various families was important for human welfare in its early stage. Incest taboo ensures that no member of the family will marry within his own family. They will look for mates from members of other family groups. The inter-marriage bonds created between different family groups held the society together. Therefore, marrying outside the family was an advantage.
To conclude, the cooperative theory of incest taboo reflects how society developed the mechanism to strengthen itself.
