Assumptions on sex and society in the biosocial theory of incest

The biosocial theory of incest holds that the universal aspect of the taboo grows from innate sexual inhibitions triggered by intimacy in early childh ood relationships everywhere. Much evidence suggests that this sexual inhib ition does occur. However the theory contains problematic assumptions that either interfere with the logic of the theory or are empirically questionab le. We suggest that more attention to variation in early intimacy, sexual i nhibitions, and taboos is needed for further development of the theory. We discuss sibling marriage in Egypt to suggest how research might be more fru itful if it were centered on variation in this way.