The taboo against contact with minorities: A folk-anthropology approach to prejudices

Abstract

In contrast to the classic theory of contact among groups to combat prejudice against the outgroup (Allport, 1954), we propose the theory of the taboo of contact according to which prejudice against minorities does not arise due to lack of contact, but precisely in order to avoid contact. We summarise a series of themata whereby in the West the majority's fears of losing the purity of their religious, ethnic, or racial identity have been ontologised in four minorities (Jews, gypsies, natives, and black people). The hypothesis is that the greater the proximity to – or danger of mixing with – those vilified minorities, the greater the taboo of contact will be. We conclude that the prejudice against minorities who are victims of current ethnic and racial discrimination is an hysteresis effect of folk-anthropology themata.