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

• 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

• Brussels: 1.1, 1.4.; 2. nothing (maybe possessions) (ECSTRA-Q)

CH: Switzerland

• 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

Bohemia: 1.1, 1.4; 2.4 (ECSTRA-Q)

DE: Germany

• 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

...

EE: Estonia

...

ES: Spain

• Andalusia: 1.1 (ECSTRA-Q)
• Castilia y León: 1. Neither money, possessions nor age are good topics (ECSTRA-Q)

FI: Finland

• 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

• 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

...

HU: Hungary

1.1., 1.4., 2.6., 2.7. (ECSTRA-Q)

IE: Ireland

• Dublin: 1. suicide, death, money; 2. there are no restrictions placed on the things people can make compliments on

IT: Italy

• 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

1. bribe (ECSTRA-Q)

LU: Luxemburg

1. sexuality, salary, retirement; 2. - (ECSTRA-Q)

LV: Latvia

...

MT: Malta

1.2, 1.3; 2. spouse/partner of other person (ECSTRA-Q)

NL: Netherlands

...

NO: Norway

...

PL: Poland

• Silesia: 1.1; 2. -- (ECSTRA-Q)
• informand without regional indication: 1. --; 2.4, 2.5, 2.6 (ECSTRA-Q)

PT: Portugal

• Alentejo: 1.1; 2. -- (ECSTRA-Q)

SE: Sweden

1. anything bad about women football; 2.-- (ECSTRA-Q)

SI: Slovenia

...

SK: Slovakia

...

UK: United Kingdom

• 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

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)