ECSTRA/Taboo
Typical situations to be focussed on:
1. what are taboo topics (= forbidden topics) in a nation if a speaker is not talking to a close friend or relative? E.g.
- 1.1. sexuality
- 1.2. religion
- 1.3. politics
- 1.4. money
- 1.5. hobbies
2. what are you not allowed to compliment on? E.g.
- 2.1. the host's wife
- 2.2. clothes
- 2.3. appearance, looks
- 2.4. possessions
- 2.5. intellectual abilities
- 2.6. physical abitilities
- 2.7. intellectual achievements
- 2.8. physical achievements
- 2.9. the lunch/dinner that you were invited for to someone's home
(Please remember our guidelines.)
AT: Austria
[edit | edit source]- Vienna, Lower Austria: 1. no real fixed taboos; 2. -- (ECSTRA-Q)
- informand without indication of region: 1.1, 1.2, death, family problems; 2. the host's wife (ECSTRA-Q)
BE: Belgium
[edit | edit source]- Brussels: 1.1, 1.4.; 2. nothing (maybe possessions) (ECSTRA-Q)
CH: Switzerland
[edit | edit source]- Lausanne (French-speaking area): 1. topics that are sensitive or not neutral; 2.7, 2.8, allusions to sexual aspects (ECSTRA-Q)
CZ: Czech Republic
[edit | edit source]Bohemia: 1.1, 1.4; 2.4 (ECSTRA-Q)
DE: Germany
[edit | edit source]- Bremen: 1. --; 2. -- (ECSTRA-Q)
- south: 1. salary, sexuality, disease; 2. sexual allusions, on weight-loss (ECSTRA-Q)
- Saxony: 1.1, 1.3; 2. no restrictions (ECSTRA-Q)
DK: Denmark
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EE: Estonia
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ES: Spain
[edit | edit source]- Andalusia: 1.1 (ECSTRA-Q)
- Castilia y León: 1. Neither money, possessions nor age are good topics (ECSTRA-Q)
FI: Finland
[edit | edit source]- West Finland (Swedish-speaking area): 1. income, personal problems, sex, religion, politics; 2. physical appearance, someone's wife's looks (ECSTRA-Q)
- Finnish-speaking area: 1.1, 1.2, domestic politics, personal income; 2. it's allowed but still not very common to compliment colleagues or employees for good work (ECSTRA-Q)
FR: France
[edit | edit source]- Aix-en-Provence: 2.4 (ECSTRA-Q)
- Indre-et-Loire: 2.1, 2.8 (ECSTRA-Q)
- Montargis: 2.4 (ECSTRA-Q)
- Fontainebleau: 2.6, 2.7, 2.8, 2.9 (ECSTRA-Q)
- Paris: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, private/intimate things; 2.1 (but depends on context; definitely no compliments on body-parts and on weight-losses) (ECSTRA-Q)
HR: Croatia
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HU: Hungary
[edit | edit source]1.1., 1.4., 2.6., 2.7. (ECSTRA-Q)
IE: Ireland
[edit | edit source]- Dublin: 1. suicide, death, money; 2. there are no restrictions placed on the things people can make compliments on
IT: Italy
[edit | edit source]- Lombardy: 1.1, personal issues or experiences; 2. too daring compliments about women's looks and body, about possessions and money, your friend's wife (ECSTRA-Q)
- Sicily: 1.1 (ECSTRA-Q)
LT: Lithuania
[edit | edit source]1. bribe (ECSTRA-Q)
LU: Luxemburg
[edit | edit source]1. sexuality, salary, retirement; 2. - (ECSTRA-Q)
LV: Latvia
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MT: Malta
[edit | edit source]1.2, 1.3; 2. spouse/partner of other person (ECSTRA-Q)
NL: Netherlands
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NO: Norway
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PL: Poland
[edit | edit source]- Silesia: 1.1; 2. -- (ECSTRA-Q)
- informand without regional indication: 1. --; 2.4, 2.5, 2.6 (ECSTRA-Q)
PT: Portugal
[edit | edit source]- Alentejo: 1.1; 2. -- (ECSTRA-Q)
SE: Sweden
[edit | edit source]1. anything bad about women football; 2.-- (ECSTRA-Q)
SI: Slovenia
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SK: Slovakia
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UK: United Kingdom
[edit | edit source]- Glasgow, Scotland: 1.1, 1.2, for one informand 1.3, for one informand 1.4.; 2. a friend's wife/girlfriend/partner, intellectual or physical abilities or achievements except for children (ECSTRA-Q)
- Cambridgeshire: 1.1, 1.4, who you voted for; 2. someone else's wife's good looks, inappropriate physical compliments (ECSTRA-Q)
Non-European Nations
[edit | edit source]Colombia: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4; 2. -- (ECSTRA-Q)
Greece: 1.1 (esp. homosexuality), personal relationships, diseases related with disabilities; 2.1, depends on situation (ECSTRA-Q)
Lebanon: 1. depends on the religion: religion is a taboo topic for small talks between a Lebanese Christian and a Lebanese Muslim; 2. depends on the religion: Christians, in contrast to Muslims, accept almost any compliments (ECSTRA-Q)