What Are We Afraid To Talk About? Birth, Marriage, And Death Around The World

On this podcast of Index on Censorship, Lewis Jennings and Sally Gimson discuss the taboos surrounding birth, marriage, and death around the world through a series of interviews with authors and experts.

I found this podcast interesting because it touches upon ordinary topics. I can relate to some of the taboos discussed here, and I think you will too. It's also a starting point to consider how culture changes the way we address these issues.

Author Jieun Baek discusses sexual taboos in North Korea. She recalls how interviews on these topics are never straightforward and conversations are filled with giggles.

Sharon Thomson, from Cardiff Law School, talks about marriage, divorce, and pre-nups. She makes a very interesting point when she mentions the term "gold digger." When she looked for the definition in a dictionary, she realized that a "gold digger" is defined as a woman who pursues a man's money. These stereotypes make women more vulnerable in situations in which they are the economically dependent partner, she argues.

The Times columnist Edward Lucas discusses distress purchases and how people from different parts of the world never talk about death. He says that so far he has seen similar reactions in America, Germany, Italy, and Russia. Have you ever discussed funeral arrangements with your family? Probably not, making you part of this "universal problem."

Lastly, Jennings and Gimson interview journalist Irene Caselli about contraception and abortion in Latin American countries. Despite some women pushing for change from the bottom up, and new initiatives and projects emerging everywhere, Latin America still has the highest rate of pregnancies among girls under 15. One of the reasons is sex and contraception are taboo, and so there is a noticeable lack of education and information on these issues.

What is it like in your country? Do you talk about sex, marriage or death around the kitchen table? Are there any other topics you would never dare to bring up?