Talking about toilets is often considered inappropriate or even embarrassing for something that every human does daily. From ancient civilizations to modern times, the stigma surrounding sanitation and waste has shaped our cultural, social, and psychological landscapes. But why is it that toilets—one of the most essential tools for human health and dignity—remain a topic shrouded in taboo?
Below, we’ll try our best to share a brief story about toilet taboos.
The Origins of Toilet Taboos to Modernity
To understand today’s discomfort around toilets, we need to look back. Early human societies often associated waste with danger. Human excrement can spread disease, attract pests, and contaminate water sources, making it a natural candidate for cultural avoidance. For instance, ancient Jewish and Islamic laws outlined strict practices for waste disposal and personal hygiene, framing them as religious obligations and public health measures. The late Val Curtis wrote about this in her book Don’t Look, Don’t Touch, Don’t Eat. In it, she talks about how disgust evolved as a defense against fatal diseases and helped us avoid contaminating our environments.
In many ancient societies, waste was considered spiritually impure. In Hindu traditions, for example, manual scavenging was relegated to Dalits (historically known as “untouchables”), cementing a deep-rooted social stigma around handling human waste. These historical precedents laid the groundwork for the modern-day unease with discussing toilets openly.
As cities grew during the Industrial Revolution, sanitation systems lagged. Open defecation and cesspools were common in densely populated urban centers, leading to public health crises like cholera outbreaks. Even as flush toilets became more widespread in the 19th century, they were considered a private matter, hidden from public view both physically and conversationally. The Victorian era, in particular, emphasized propriety and modesty, relegating any mention of bodily functions to the realm of indecency.
Interestingly, this period also saw innovations like the modern sewer system, drastically improving urban sanitation. Yet, despite these advancements, cultural attitudes toward waste remained largely unchanged. Toilets were necessary but not to be acknowledged.
Cultural Variations in Toilet Taboos
While some disgust triggers are universal (like feces and bodily fluids), cultural factors significantly influence what is considered disgusting, and toilet taboos vary widely across cultures. FLUSH has a map showing some examples of toilet taboos in different cultures. A lot of taboos are around privacy concerns, gender segregation, and masking bodily functions. For example, in Japan, public restrooms are often equipped with sound-masking devices to hide any audible evidence of bodily functions, underscoring a cultural preference for discretion.
However, the map shows that many taboos are not universal and may be seen as quirky or contradictory in other places. In some places, sharing toilets across genders is seen as taboo. In contrast, others find using a private toilet is taboo because of the ability to access information to conduct malevolent cultural rituals, such as in Ghana and Uganda. In some countries, there are specific beliefs about ritual purity related to toilets, while women in South Asia with their menses are seen as unpure and desecrate certain public places.
Additionally, toilet designs and usage often differ across cultures because of taboos and sentiments about certain behaviors – such as using water to clean oneself. The US, too, has its quirks. Public restrooms often have noticeable gaps in stall doors, a design choice that leaves many baffled and uncomfortable. While intended to reduce misuse and ensure public safety, this is far from the privacy prioritized in many European facilities.
Why It’s Time to Break the Taboo
Taboos around toilets and sanitation come at a cost. As Curtis noted, while disgust and its cultural taboo creations are rooted in biology, they extend far beyond physical threats. They shape social norms, influence moral judgments, and contribute to prejudice and discrimination. Alexandra Brewis and Amber Wutich agree in their book Lazy, Crazy, and Disgusting, noting that stigmas from taboos can prevent people from fully participating in society. Unfortunately, toilet taboos can also make public health campaigns inadvertently blame individuals for their conditions rather than looking at the local context and understanding infrastructural issues that contribute to poor health.
The global sanitation crisis affects 3.6 billion people without access to safely managed sanitation – nearly half of the planet’s population! Stigma perpetuates this problem by preventing open discussions about solutions. For instance, menstrual hygiene is often ignored in water and sanitation policies due to cultural discomfort, leaving millions of women and girls at a disadvantage.
Breaking the taboo isn’t just about improving conversations but saving lives. Campaigns like the World Toilet Organization’s pioneered World Toilet Day aim to normalize discussions about sanitation and advocate for improved infrastructure worldwide. At FLUSH, we are committed to shifting the narrative so we can see toilets as vital tools to a thriving, healthy society – that’s nothing to be shameful about.
Reclaiming the Conversation
By understanding the roots of toilet taboos, we can challenge the cultural norms perpetuating them and create a world where sanitation is a universal right rather than a whispered topic. We can also harness its power for positive change, such as improving hygiene practices and combating prejudice.
After all, the first step to solving a problem is talking about it—and it’s time we recognize toilets for what they are.
Comments