Questions and Answers
What is the main influence over what individuals eat, according to the text?
Culture
What does the term 'taboo' derive from?
Polynesian concept of 'to set-apart'
Which culture has a taboo related to pigs as food?
Jewish
What aspect of food taboos does 'becoming a vegetarian' reflect?
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What is the aim of the lecture mentioned in the text?
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What is the term used for nutritious and edible things that a culture does not tolerate as 'food'?
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Which culture has a taboo related to cows as food?
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What evidence suggests a selective advantage for resistance to prion diseases driven by cannibalism?
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What was the purpose of ritually sacrificing around 0.25 million people per year in the Aztec empire?
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What was a consequence of the lack of large game and domestic animals in Meso-America?
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What is a documented instance of widespread cannibalism during a breakdown of social structures?
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What provided definitive evidence of human flesh consumption at Neolithic sites?
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What led to the widespread cannibalism during the Cairo famine of the 12th century?
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What did the Spanish conquistadores do in relation to the Aztec culture of ritualistic human flesh consumption?
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What are some historical examples of cannibalism mentioned in the text?
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What are the reasons behind the avoidance of pigs, cows, and insects as food sources?
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What is the significance of cows in India according to the text?
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What are the moral and environmental drivers of vegetarianism in the West?
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What are the environmental and social impacts of mass meat production according to the text?
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What are the waste generation and pollution impacts of animal production mentioned in the text?
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What is the focus of the emergence of vegetarianism in the West according to the text?
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What are the ecological explanations for cultural practices regarding pig and cow consumption?
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What is speculated about the potential for meat in the future according to the text?
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What is the primary reason for the universal avoidance of beef and all beef products in Hinduism?
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What risk is associated with consuming human flesh according to the text?
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What is a significant factor influencing food taboos, as mentioned in the text?
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What is the aim of food taboos, as per the text?
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What does the text mention about the Catholic church's stance on cannibalism?
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What is the main influence behind the avoidance of specific foods during different life stages, according to the text?
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What role do food taboos play in shaping individuals' sense of belonging and tradition, as per the text?
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What is the main reason for Hinduism's avoidance of beef and all beef products?
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What is a significant factor influencing food taboos according to the text?
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What is the stance of the Catholic church on the Andes survivors who resorted to cannibalism for survival?
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What is the main purpose of food taboos according to the text?
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What is the view on the universality of regarding eating human flesh as disgusting or diabolical?
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What is the comparative risk of consuming human flesh according to the text?
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What is the primary reason for the avoidance of specific foods during different life stages according to the text?
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Study Notes
Food Taboos and Theories
- Food taboos can be categorized into religious (e.g., Islam and Judaism), societal (e.g., regional preferences for pets as food), and intra-cultural (e.g., specific food avoidance during pregnancy).
- Hinduism's concept of non-violence leads to the universal avoidance of beef and all beef products, with around 30% of Hindus being lacto-vegetarians.
- Theories of food taboos include aesthetics, compassion, divine commandment, ecology, health and sanitation, ethnic identity, natural law, self-restraint/denial, and sympathetic magic.
- Food taboos may serve as a way to define cultural identity and resist change, but their origins remain unclear.
- Eating human flesh is not universally regarded as disgusting or diabolical, and it is not specifically prohibited in the Bible.
- While eating human flesh offers nutritional benefits similar to other meats, it poses risks related to blood-borne diseases and prions that can be transmitted from dead bodies.
- The risk of consuming human flesh is comparable to that of eating other meats, but it is not risk-free.
- Eating human flesh was not always taboo and has been practiced in certain cultures, leading to the spread of prion diseases like kuru among the PNG Fore people.
- The Catholic church spoke in favor of Andes survivors who resorted to cannibalism for survival.
- Taboos related to food choices and consumption are complex, influenced by religious, cultural, and health factors, and continue to be debated and interpreted by scholars.
- The avoidance of specific foods during different life stages, such as pregnancy and infancy, is often rooted in danger-related beliefs and magical effects.
- Food taboos are deeply intertwined with cultural identity and can shape individuals' sense of belonging and tradition.
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