ANTH/WMGS 326 Anthropology of Kinship
Winter 2018
Feb. 26: Incest
Required reading:  Niehaus, Isak (2010) “Maternal incest as moral panic: Envisioning futures
without fathers in the South African Lowveld,” Journal of Southern African Studies, 36:4, 833-849.

- What is incest? What are incest taboos?
- the Canadian case: http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/PDF/M-2.1.pdf

- What anthropological theories have been presented to explain incest taboos?

- Note that Niehaus focuses on RUMOURS of incest, not on actual cases of incest.
- how have stories about incest changed over time in the South African Lowveld?
- how is power involved in incest?
- what are the current circumstances in which rumours of incest arise?
- what do these rumours involve?
- do you agree that these incest rumours are a way of commenting on the chaos and changes facing these South Africans?
- are there parallels in your society? That is, are there rumours of inappropriate sexuality that arise as a way of thinking about negative changes in your society?


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