Despite the importance of taboos in contemporary societies and their impact on consumption, little research has been conducted in marketing on the concept of taboo. Building upon the literature in anthropology, sociology and psychoanalysis, this paper puts forward five defining characteristics of taboos which shed light on previous research related to taboos in marketing. This article suggests topics for future research based on taboo characteristics that influence consumer behavior and taboo perception, with emphasis on the methodological difficulties and opportunities related to this field of research.
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