Taboo Topics

What Are Taboo Topics?

Researchers often refer to the research on topic avoidance, disclosure, and secrets as “information regulation.” Typically, avoidance, disclosure, and secrets are analyzed as ways in which people regulate or manage the amount and type of private information they give to, and receive from, others. However, it is important to differentiate among these different types of information regulation. With topic avoidance, people refrain from talking For instance, if Jenny is dating someone her parents dislike and they simply choose not to talk about him, it would be considered avoidance. If, however, Jenny is engaged to her partner and she has not told her parents about it, it would be a secret. Because secret-keeping involves concealment, it usually takes more effort to keep the information private and has more negative ramifications than does topic avoidance if the information were to be revealed.

Taboo topics are often considered to be topics that are highly avoided, but they can also be secrets. As Leslie Baxter and Bill Wilmot note, topics that are taboo are considered “off limits” in relationships. These topics tend to be too sensitive or emotionally laden to discuss. Often these topics are declared taboo by the people in the relationship, but other times, they are implicitly taboo when norms and relationship rules make them inherently off limits for discussion. For instance, it might be known in your family that religion and politics are off limits for conversation because of conflicts that have occurred in the past as a result of discussions about them. In this example, the topics of religion and politics are not introduced in conversation and, thus, would be considered topic avoidance. In other instances, topics could be kept secret because they are condemned by one's family or society. For example, Anita Vangelisti identified three different categories of secrets in families: taboo secrets, rule violations, and conventional secrets. Taboo topics usually involve behaviors or activities that are stigmatized by society. Some [Page 1624]examples of taboo secrets include marital difficulties, substance abuse, mental health, or illegalities. Taboo secrets are often the most commonly reported type of family secrets. Rule violations involve breaking family rules, such as premarital pregnancy, drinking or partying, breaking curfews, and cohabitation. Conventional family secrets are secrets that are judged as inappropriate for discussion. These topics often include religion, politics, death, conflicts in the family, and dating partners.

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