Final answer:
The incest taboo is a cultural norm that prohibits sexual relations between parents and their offspring. This taboo serves to maintain social cohesion and prevent negative consequences.
Step-by-step explanation:
The incest taboo is a cultural norm that prohibits sexual relations between parents and their offspring. This taboo may also extend to other relations considered too close for sexual relationships, such as first cousins in some societies. The purpose of the incest taboo is to maintain social cohesion and prevent the negative consequences of inbreeding.
For example, French anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss argued that the incest taboo is fundamental to the formation of social groups. It separates individuals into two categories: those with whom an individual has family ties (biological ties) and those with whom an individual can have sexual relationships and establish new ties.
While the incest taboo is a shared norm across all societies, the specific relatives deemed unacceptable for sexual relations can vary widely between cultures.