TABOOS: NEW GENERATIONS, RENEWED MENTALITIES?
Eva Alés Cosano
“Freedom is for the curious ones. Free is the one not influenced by taboos. Free is the one who reasons and evolves continuously, and refuses to accept anything without thinking.” Massimo Marino, Daimones
IES POMPEU FABRA BADALONA
2015/16
TABOOS: NEW GENERATIONS, RENEWED MENTALITIES?
Eva AlĂŠs Cosano
ACKNOLEDGEMENTS This project has been rewarding and exciting, as well as really hard. It would have never been possible without the help, love and patience given to me by my beloved friends and relatives. Firstly, I want to thank my mother for all the support, encouragement and critical sense with which she provided me; besides, for making me study English in a serious manner since I was 7 years old, suggesting me to go abroad in order to improve my English level and searching and giving me the chance to go to the most wonderful summer arts camp in Canada. Secondly, I want to express my gratitude to everyone who collaborated in this project in any way; especially to each survey respondent and interviewee. Particularly, I really thank Esther Crisol GonzĂĄlez, the most pleasant and excellent educational psychologist on earth, for her contribution. Thirdly, I absolutely want to give thanks to my tutor Amparo Valls Massanet for being the most constant, hard-working and involved tutor I could have had; plus for advising me in a fantastic way. In addition to them, I want to thank my brother, for making me laugh during the moments in which I was on the point of losing my patience because of my blasted computer; to my father, for his stupidly funny but witty titles; and basically to my national, as well as my overseas, friends for being who they are and moulding me with the experiences lived together. Last but not least, I doubtlessly want to make a special mention to my bed, for allowing me to sleep after tough days developing the project; to everyone who made me who I am today and, therefore, choose this incredibly interesting topic for the project; and to Centauri and their founders, Craig and July, for moving a piece of Heaven to Earth.
IES POMPEU FABRA BADALONA
2015/16
TABOOS: NEW GENERATIONS, RENEWED MENTALITIES?
Eva Alés Cosano
INDEX 0. Introduction................................................................................................................................7 Theoretical Part: 1. TABOOS...................................................................................................................................9 1.1. What does the term “taboo” mean?........................................................................................9 1.2. Which types of taboos exist?................................................................................................10 1.3. The origin of taboos..............................................................................................................11 2. EUPHEMISMS AND DYSPHEMISMS..............................................................................12 2.1. What is a euphemism?..........................................................................................................12 2.1.1. Examples.........................................................................................................................12 2.2. What is a dysphemism?........................................................................................................13 2.2.1. Examples.........................................................................................................................13 3. LINGUISTIC INTERDICTION...........................................................................................14 3.1. Attenuation and taboos.........................................................................................................14 4. NORTH-AMERICAN SOCIETY.........................................................................................16 4.1. Canada..................................................................................................................................16 4.1.1. Geography.......................................................................................................................17 4.1.2. Closest history influences................................................................................................17 4.1.3. Taboos treatment.............................................................................................................18 4.1.3.1. Death rituals................................................................................................................18 4.1.3.2. Social drugs acceptation.............................................................................................20 4.2. The United States of America..............................................................................................21 4.2.1. Geography.......................................................................................................................23 4.2.2. Closest history influences................................................................................................23 4.2.3. Taboos treatment.............................................................................................................24 4.2.3.1. Death rituals................................................................................................................24 4.2.3.2. Social drugs acceptation.............................................................................................26
IES POMPEU FABRA BADALONA
2015/16
TABOOS: NEW GENERATIONS, RENEWED MENTALITIES?
Eva Alés Cosano
5. SOCIETY FROM THE METROPOLITAN AREA OF BARCELONA..........................29 5.1. Geography..........................................................................................................................30 5.2. Closest history influences...................................................................................................30 5.3. Taboos treatment................................................................................................................31 5.3.1. Death rituals...................................................................................................................31 5.3.2. Social drugs acceptation................................................................................................32 Practical Part: 6. INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................36 6.1. Theme of study.....................................................................................................................36 6.2. Thesis....................................................................................................................................36 6.3. Objectives.............................................................................................................................36 7. METHODOLOGY.................................................................................................................37 7.1. Survey...................................................................................................................................37 7.2. Interview...............................................................................................................................37 7.2.1. North-American people...................................................................................................37 7.2.2. People from Badalona.....................................................................................................38 7.2.3. Educational psychologist.................................................................................................39 8. PRESENTATION OF TWO POSSIBLE SUITABLE SUBJECTS..................................41 8.1. North-American suitable profile...........................................................................................41 8.2. Suitable profile from Badalona............................................................................................41 9. COMPARISON OF THE RESULTS GOT FROM THE SURVEYS...............................42 10. VERIFICATIONS EXTRACTED FROM REAL FACTS..............................................48 10.1. Breasts of Janet Jackson / Sabrina and reactions.................................................................48 10.2. Cinematography..................................................................................................................49 10.2.1. Age rating......................................................................................................................49 10.2.2. Pedro Almodóvar - ¡Átame! (Tie me up! Tie me down!).............................................50 10.3. The Simpsons.....................................................................................................................51 11. CONCLUSIONS...................................................................................................................52
IES POMPEU FABRA BADALONA
2015/16
TABOOS: NEW GENERATIONS, RENEWED MENTALITIES?
Eva Alés Cosano
Annex: 12. BIBLIOGRAPHY, WEBLIOGRAPHY AND OTHER RESOURCES..........................55 13. SURVEY................................................................................................................................58 14. INTERVIEWS ANSWERS.................................................................................................60 15. EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGIST’S ANSWERS.........................................................74 16. DRAWINGS FROM TRAUMATISED AMERICAN CHILDREN...............................76 17. THE SIMPSONS SCENE....................................................................................................77
IES POMPEU FABRA BADALONA
2015/16