Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id TAA09939 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Fri, 30 Mar 2001 19:55:21 +0100 Message-ID: <3AC4D2DF.F40E1815@clara.co.uk> Date: Fri, 30 Mar 2001 19:39:27 +0100 From: Douglas Brooker <dbrooker@clara.co.uk> Organization: University of London X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.5 [en] (Win95; I) X-Accept-Language: en To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Subject: Re: taboos References: <2D1C159B783DD211808A006008062D3101745D3C@inchna.stir.ac.uk> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Vincent Campbell wrote:
> Where many other taboos come from, and what makes some change widely over
> time (e.g. attitudes over homosexuality) is what Kenneth and I were
> discussing a while ago, so I won't repeat myself (well, any more than I have
> already, no doubt too much for some).
One aspect of this might be new: the distinction between public morality and
private morality and the social contradictions it keeps in abeyance. Most of
the examples I've seen on the list of specific collective behaviour relate to
public events. What about changing private behaviour and its relation to public
morality? Everyone knows changes in the voting habits of a small percentage of
people can swing elections. I've wondered if the change of ethos from the 70's
to the harder edged 80's in North America related to the fact that a critical
mass of people quit smoking and the effects filtered through to society?
There are many places in the world, perhaps outside of the USA, where in terms
of public morality, homosexuality is a serious criminal offence; privately,
however, it's so common that using the word 'normal' is appropriate - so long as
it's private. Everybody does it, (men at least) in some places, no one talks
about it, but everybody (males and females) knows (??) about it.
The public-private discourse distinction has become much less distinct, since
the 60's, in the US and elsewhere...but not everywhere.
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